Standing on the bank of holiest river Ganges, Varanasi is in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and is the oldest surviving city of the world. The Varanasi city is addressed with various names such as Banaras ancient city of ghats, cultural capital and so on. It is also known as Kashi due to the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple.

It is said and believed that Varanasi is the place where the first 'Jyotirlinga' broke through the earth's crust and flared towards the heaven. Lord Shiva did this in order to take the final call in the war of supremacy among various Hindu Gods. According to puranas the person who stays in this Holy city of Varanasi automatically gets entitled for moksha, irrespective of their virtues or Karmas, such is the greatness of this city. It is also said that when a person dies in this city Lord Shiva gives that soul a TARAK MANTRA (A holy chanting) that liberates the soul from all boundations. Many old people across the country travel to Varanasi because they want to take their last breath in this holy city and get Moksha (Salvation) after death.

There is also a tradition that one should give up at least one desire after a pilgrimage to the temple and the pilgrimage would also include a visit to the temple at Rameswaram in South India, where people take the water samples of the Ganges to perform prayer at the temple and bring back the sand from near that temple.