Varanasi is the sacred city where Shiva is worshipped as Vishwanath, meaning “Lord of the Universe.”
Varanasi, also known as Banaras or Kashi, stands on the Ganges in northern India and is one of Hinduism’s most important pilgrimage centers. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Shiva in the form of Vishwanath. The city’s religious importance is linked to beliefs about liberation, death, cremation, and the sanctity of the Ganges.
Varanasi is not the same as Kailash, traditionally described as Shiva’s mountain abode. Nor is it Ayodhya, associated with Rama, or Mathura, traditionally associated with Krishna’s birthplace. These locations are all important in Hindu traditions but have distinct mythological identities.
The city has been a major center of pilgrimage, Sanskrit learning, music, and religious debate for centuries. Its modern name, Varanasi, is commonly explained through the Varuna and Asi rivers.