Varanasi also known as Banaras or Kashi, is a city on the banks of the river Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, India. A major religious hub in India, it is the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Varanasi grew as an important industrial center famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BCE when he gave his first sermon, "The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma", at nearby Sarnath. The morning and evening Ganga aarti rituals are done on various 'Ghats' of sacred river Ganges.
