Once known as Benares, and one of the seven scared Hindu cities, Varanasi lies on the banks of the River Ganges in Uttar Pradesh. It's one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited communities - to which over a million devout Hindus make pilgrimages from all parts of India every year to bathe in the Ganges, whose waters they believe to be sacred. Along the river stairways or ghats have been built from which pilgrims bathe before praying. Varanasi is also known for its many temples, monasteries and palaces. A few miles away is Sarnath, where Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment.