Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/272

 ;

BENARES

262

CITY.

the Rev. Mr. Sherring’s Sacred City of the Hindus (London Triibner) the North-Western Provinces Census Report for 1881; and the Pro:

vmcial Admmistration Reports from i88o to 1883.] Benares (or more correctly, Varanasi or Bandras).

cantonment

in

Benares

District,

strative head-quarters of the District

The

long. 83° 3' 4" E.

city,

— City

and

North-Western Provinces, and admini-

and

Division.

Lat. 25° 18' 31" n.,

exclusive of the cantonments, covers an

area of 3448 acres, and contained in 1881 a population of 193,025,

147,230; Muhammadans, 45,529; and Christians, The cantonment population of 6675 consists of 4104 Hindus, 1705 Muhammadans, 864 Christians, and 2 ‘others.’ Benares, the religious metropolis of the Hindu faith, and first city of the Northnamely, Hindus, 266.

Western Provinces (exclusive of Oudh) in population and importance, on the left or northern bank of the river Ganges, about 120 miles below its junction with the Jumna, at an elevation of 253 feet above sea level; distant from Calcutta 421 miles north-west, from Allahabad 74 miles east, and from Delhi 466 miles south-east. The Ganges forms a bay or crescent-shaped reach in front of the city, thus permitting the eye to take in at a single sweep the long line of its picturesque ghats and splendid temples. The town is built of Chanar freestone, and consists of winding labyrinths and narrow alleys, lined by temples, mosques, or palaces, and crowded with pilgrims and busy citizens, camels, asses, horses, and sacred bulls. But though the view is ever}-where obstructed within the city itself, along the bank of the Ganges is unrolled a magnificent panorama of palaces, capped by domes, minarets, and sacred buildings, in every variety of oriental architecture. The people spend a large part of their time praying, bathing, or lounging by the water-side. The ghats are crowded with fakirs and other ashbesprinkled and almost naked ascetics, practising their devotions and life-long austerities. The city can be approached either by land or water. The Ganges aftbrds a navigable highway for large steamships ; lies

the East Indian Railway has a station opposite Rajghat.

A

bridge of

maintained here during the hot and dry seasons by the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway Company, who have a temporary line of railway from Benares cantonment to Rajghat. A ferr)' is kept up during boats

is

Benares

the rains.

khand

is

at present the

terminus of the

Railwa)', but a bridge across the

Ganges

Oudh and

Rohil-

at Rajghat, close to the

is now (1883) in course of construction, and the line then run across the river to Mughal Sarai, and there join the East

bridge of boats, will

Indian Railway. The Grand Trunk Road and other good metalled ways lead over bridges on the Ganges or the Barna from every quarter. No walls or fortifications enclose the holy city. During the Mutiny, a fort erected

populace



but

at

Rajghat overawed the disaffected section of the has now been abandoned, owing to alleged

this