The Latest Breaking News from Banaras

Renting Occasion Wear Is the Smartest Fashion Move Indian Women Can Make for Their Wardrobe

The Real Cost of a Single-Use LehengaA wedding-ready lehenga from a mid-range label costs between ₹15,000 and ₹80,000. A rental of the same piece runs ₹2,000 to ₹8,000 for a four-day window. The owned garment will be worn once, dry-cleaned, wrapped in muslin, and stored in a cupboard that already…

Times Life · Aug 19

The sacred geography they bulldozed: How Modi’s vision erased Kashi

Mahadev floats in ghostly neon blue inside a glass box. As he tilts his head to swallow the poison of Samudramanthan, a cloud of blue smoke hisses out and helicopter style blades spin. The drama is irresistible. 

Newslaundry · Apr 2

When the bulldozer came for Mahadev’s city

On January 9 this year, a bulldozer arrived at Manikarnika Ghat in Banaras – one of the holiest sites in Hinduism – by barge, through the river, because the galis were too narrow for it to enter any other way.

Newslaundry · Mar 19

‘Police now part of active psychology’: Author Vyomesh Shukla on dissent, politics of Varanasi

Varanasi, Banaras, or Kashi has been home to spirituality, music and literature for centuries, with personalities such as Dara Shikoh, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Bismillah Khan associated with the ancient city. But over the past decade, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the incumbent MP from Varanasi, the city has undergone…

Newslaundry · May 29, 2024

Kashi Tamil Sangamam Express regular service to start on Dec 28

Weekly Kanyakumari-Banaras-Kanyakumari Kashi Express to start from Dec 28 & 24. PM flags off inaugural special with 1,094 passengers.

The Hindu · Dec 19, 2023

Where do Gods live? Devdutt Pattanaik explains

As curious little kids, we used to ask our parents, “Maa, where does Shiv ji live” or “Where does Krishna live”? The replies were both simple and different for them all. Some lived in Mount Kailash, others lived in Nidhivan and some others lived in Banaras.

The Times of India · Nov 23, 2023

‘Witnessing such sights each day has a deep, scarring impact on the children at Manikarnika Ghat,’ says Radhika Iyengar, author of Fire on the Ganges

Radhika Iyengar's debut book, ‘Fire on the Ganges’, paints a vivid picture of the Doms of Banaras, a community whose traditional occupation is cremating corpses at the ghats. Through her research, Iyengar explores the lives of the Doms beyond the cremation ground, examining their choices, education, and attempts to break…

The Hindu · Oct 6, 2023

A Hindu-Muslim dispute tests centuries of interfaith culture in India's Varanasi

Both faith communities have long shared this sacred city. But some Hindus have taken legal action over a mosque they claim holds idols of Hindu deities.

WEKU · Sep 16, 2023

Railway staff hand over luggage that passenger left behind on Vande Bharat Express

SWR returns ₹4 lakh worth of luggage to passenger. GM Sanjeev Kishore appreciates staff for good deed. SWR to augment coaches for Ganesh Chaturthi. Trains to be rescheduled/regulated due to maintenance work. Train services between Mysuru-Varanasi & Hubballi-Banaras to be cancelled/diverted.

The Hindu · Sep 10, 2023

Banarasi paan: Savour the flavour of the GI-tagged mouth freshener

Traditional Banarasi paan got the GI tag in March this year along with the Banarasi Langra mango. The recognition cements what we have known all along: there is no other paan like the paan of Banaras

The Hindu · May 22, 2023