Varanasi or Kashi was already old when Rome was founded. It is the seat of temples and learning. This religious capital of India is situated on the banks of the holy Ganges and is believed to be presided over by Lord Shiva. It was already a flourishing trading centre in 500 B.C when Buddha came to Sarnath to preach his first sermon. An ancient city, its sense of the archaic is alive; it holds a millennium of civilisation. The outer facade has changed, but the city and its voice are authentic. On the banks of the sacred river Ganges, Benares is one of India's most important pilgrimage sites and the holiest of holy cities for Hindus.