Varanasi District
Varanasi is also known as
Benares, Banaras, or Benaras or Kashi or Kasi is a famous Hindu holy
city situated on the banks of the River Ganga. It is one of the oldest
continually inhabited cities in the world, dating back thousands of
years and contemporaneous with the Sumer civilisation.The city is called
Kasi, "the luminous" in the Rigveda. It is often also referred to as "city of temples and learning".
The Varanasi City is the district headquarters of the Varanasi district.
Varanasi is also renowned for its rich tapestry of music, arts, crafts
and education. Varanasi abounds in the art of silk weaving, an exotic
work of art which manifests itself in precious Banarasi Silk
Sarees and Silk brocades which are cherished as collector’s items
across the world today.
Important Rivers
Varuna, Ganga and Assi rivers flow through the district.
Climate
Varanasi has a humid subtropical climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures.
Summers
are long, from early April till October, with the monsoon season in
between. The average temperature in summers is 32°C–46°C. Winters are
from December to February. The average temperature in winters is
5°C–15°C.
The average annual rainfall is 1110 mm (44 in). Fog is
common in winter while hot dry winds called loo blow in summer. The city
is relatively free from the air pollution.
AttractionsShri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, Sarnath,
New Vishwanath Temple, Kal Bhairav, Sankatha Temple, Mritunjay Mahadev
Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Durga Temple, Sankatmochan Temple, Bharat
Mata Temple.
Excursion
Sarnath, Ramnagar, Vindhyachal, Chunar Fort, Kaushambi, handraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Jaunpur.
Facts & Figures
Area | 1550.3 Sq. K.M. |
Latitude | 25º 14’N - 25º 23.5’N |
Longitude | 82º 56’E - 83º 03’E |
Population (2001) | 3,147,927 |
Males | 1,650,138 |
Females | 1,497,789 |
Population density | 1995 Per Sq. K.M. |
Sex Ratio | 908 |
Literacy Rate | 67.09% |
No. of Tehsil | 02 |
No. of Blocks | 08 |
No. of Towns | 04 |
No. of Villages | 1336 |
Average rainfall | 1110 mm |
Temperature | Max.: 48.8 C ; Min.: 4.8 C |
Postal Code | 221001 |
STD Code | 0542 |
How to Reach
By Air : The nearest airport is Babatpur, 22 km from Varanasi and 30 Km from Sarnath. Direct flights for Varanasi are available from Delhi, Agra, Khajurao, Calcutta, Mumbai, Lucknow and Bhuvaneshwar airports.
By Rail : Varanasi and Mughal Sarai (one of the main railway stations of Varanasi) are the important rail junctions, with train connections to all major cities of India. Some important trains
are : Rajdhani Exp ( Hawrah - Mughal Sarai - New Delhi); Toofan Exp (
Howrah - Mughal Sarai - Delhi); North East Superfast Exp ( Delhi -
Mughal Sarai Guwahati) ; Magadh Exp ( Delhi - Mughal Sarai Patna) ;
Mahanagari Exp ( Varanasi - Mumbai ) ; Pawan Exp ( Varanasi - Mumbai ) ;
Sabarmati Exp ( Varanasi - Ahmedabad) ; Ganga Kaveri Exp ( Varanasi -
Chennai) ; Poorwa Exp ( Howrah - Varanasi - Delhi) Himgiri Exp ( Jammu -
Varanasi - Howrah ) ; Sealdah Exp ( Varanasi - Jammu Tawi).
By Rail : Varanasi,
on NH 2 from Calcutta to Delhi, NHZ to Kanya Kumari and NH 29 to
Gorakhpur is well connected to the rest of the country by good motorable
roads. some of the major road distances are : Agra - 565 km, Allahabad -
128 km, Bhopal - 791 km, Bodhgaya - 240 km, Kanpur - 330 km, Khajuraho -
405 km, Lucknow - 286, Patna - 246 km, Sarnath - 10 Km.