Varanasi

Varanasi, also called Kashi and Banaras, has faced the Ganges for more than three thousand years. At dawn, pilgrims bathe on the ghats as boats drift past temples and palaces; at dusk, priests perform the Ganga Aarti with fire, bells and chanting.

Between the two, the old city's lanes lead to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, silk weavers' workshops and legendary street food. Nearby Sarnath is where the Buddha gave his first sermon.