https://www.pitara.com/tags/hinduism-and-culture/Recent content in Hinduism and Culture on Pitara Kids NetworkHugoen-usSat, 13 Jun 2026 21:46:31 +0530https://www.pitara.com/non-fiction-for-kids/features-for-kids/banaras-the-eternal-city/Tue, 21 Sep 1999 06:18:01 +0000https://www.pitara.com/non-fiction-for-kids/features-for-kids/banaras-the-eternal-city/<p>City of many names, Banaras as it is most commonly called, was officially renamed in 1956 as Varanasi, a name from antiquity. It was first known as Kashi, the city of light, when it was the capital of the kingdom of the same name about 500 BC.</p> <p>For over 2000 years, Banaras the eternal city has been the religious capital of India. Built on the banks of sacred Ganga it is said to combine the virtues of all other places of pilgrimage and anyone who ends their earthly cycle here is said to be transported straight to heaven.</p>