Facts of Varanasi:
Popularly known as:
Nickname: The spiritual capital of India
Coordinates: 25°16′55″N 82°57′23″E / 25.282°N 82.9563°E / 25.282; 82.9563
Country: India
State: Uttar Pradesh
District: Varanasi
Government: Mayor Ram Gopal Mohle (BJP)
Area of City: 1,550 km2 (600 sq mi)
Elevation: 80.71 m (264.80 ft)
Population of Varanasi urban agglomeration in census 2001 was: 1,371,749
Population of Varanasi urban agglomeration in census 2011 was: 1,435,113
Density: 2,399/km2 (6,210/sq mi)
Official Languages: Hindi, English, Urdu
Other Language: Bhojpuri
Time zone: IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN code: 221001 to** (** area code)
Telephone code: 0542
Vehicle registration: UP 65
Sex ratio: 0.926 (2011) ♂/♀
Literacy: 77.05 (2011)%
Economy
Around 29% of the total populations are employed in the Varanasi. There is a variety of employment ways in the Varanasi such as manufacturing, spinning and weaving, trade and commerce, printing and publishing, transport and communication, agriculture, construction and other minor works.
Climate
Climate of the Varanasi is humid subtropical with the great fluctuations in the summer (around 22°C to 46°C with hot dry winds) and winter (about 5 °C with deep fog). Varanasi has a normal rainfall which is around 1,110 mm annually.
Population
Varanasi has the huge population in the city. Religious beliefs and cultural activities of the Varanasi attract the people from all over the world during any celebration. Varanasi has a variety of religions of the people. It is crowded with around 68% Hindus, 30% Muslims, 0.2% Christians, 0.2% Sikhs, less than 0.2% Buddhists, 1.4% Jains and 0.4% other religions. According to the census of 2011, the urbanized area in the Varanasi has a population of 1,435,113. Among which 761,060 of the total population were males and 674,053 of the total population were females. Whereas, according to the census 2001, the total population was 1,371,749. The population of 138,000 people from the municipal area is living in the slums.
Administration
Master planning of the city is done by the Varanasi Nagar Nigam and Varanasi Development Authority.
Hospital
The author of the Sushruta Samhita and a great surgeon named Sushruta is responsible for the Authentic Ayurveda and Panchkarma treatment in the Varanasi. Varanasi is the center of the many Ayurvedic and Allopathic hospitals. Some of them are Punarnava Health Ayurvedic center, Heritage Hospital, Shiv Prasad Gupta Hospital, Ram Krishna Mission Hospital, Sir Sundar Lal Hospital, Rajkiya Hospital, Varanasi Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mata Anand Mai Hospital, Marwari Hospital and a Cancer Institute. According to the census of 2010–2011, the urbanized area of the Varanasi has 70 per 1000 mortality rate of the infants.
Ganges
The holy River Gange in the Varanasi has the traditional, cultural and religious importance for the devotees and pilgrims all over the country as well as outside the country. Because of the huge public traffic during any fairs and festivals celebration, there was developing water pollution. The Varanasi Jal Nigam has taken some solid steps in order to protect the water pollution through many ways.
Tourism
Varanasi is the famous and striking place in India for tours and tourism every year. It has crowd of around 3 million Indians (generally from UP, MP, Bihar, West Bengal etc) and 200,000 foreigners (generally from USA, China, Sri Lanka, Japan etc) every year for the religious reasons only. Varanasi is now developing economically very fast because of the increasing number of malls, multiplexes, three star and five star hotels, dharamshalas, multi specialty hospitals etc.
Some famous landmarks are:
Hindu temples (Kashi Vishwanath Temple, New Vishwanath Temple, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, Annapurna Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple, Kalabhairav Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Sankatha Temple, Mrithyunjay Mahadev Temple etc), tourists places, Gange ghats (Dashashwamedh Ghat, Assi Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Varuna Ghat, Panchganga Ghat etc), museums (Jantar Mantar, Sarnath Museum, Kala Bhawan of BHU, Ramnagar Fort), railway station, airline etc.
Religious Festivals
Variety of fairs and festivals in Varanasi such as Mahashivaratri, Hauman Jayanti, Ganga Mahotsav, Ramlila, Bharat Milap, Dhrupad Mela, Nag Nathaiya, Vijayadashami, Deepawali, Dev Deepawali etc drive a large crowd of the devotees.
Education and sport
Varanasi city is most famous for its educational institutions all over the world. It has a number of institutions for providing the real education to all the religions of people. Some of the educational institutions are BHU, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Imania Arabic College, Institute of Integrated Management and Technology, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Harischandra P.G. collage, Agrasen Knya P.G. collage, Nav Sadhana Kala Kendra, Udai Pratap Autonomous College etc. A Sanskrit College was established in the Varanasi by the British Governor General Warren Hastings, Jonathan Duncan in the year 1791. Colleges and universities in the Varanasi take part in almost all types of sports activities.
Transport
Varanasi has very convenient transports whether it is road line, railway line or airline. Stoppage for the railway lines is Varanasi junction or Varanasi Cantt Railway Station and Manduadih Railway station and airlines is Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport or Babatpur Airport. 24 hrs transport facility is available in the Varanasi.