Varanasi, also known as Kashi or Banaras, is one of the oldest cities in India, probably older than any known history or tradition. Soaked in divinity and dipped in holiness, Varanasi is considered a melting pot, a place where both life and death merge together seamlessly. Hindus across the world believe in staying at Kashi during their final days to greet death and attain salvation (Moksha). It is widely accepted among Hindus that permission to stay at Varanasi is granted by the most powerful form of Lord Shiva, Kaal Bhairav, also fondly referred to as the kotwal or the guardian of Kashi. Legend states that the aura of Kaal Bhairav is so fierce that even death is afraid of it, and therefore, worshipping him can wipe out any negativity or unpleasantness from one's life. It is a place where the sun rises thanks to the magnanimity of Lord Shiva and sets steeped in the divine mysticism of the holy Ganga Aarti; such is the enigma of Varanasi.
