Varanasi: At the Crossroads

Varanasi (Kashi), widely acclaimed as the "Eternal City," is as old as history itself. Mention of Kashi is found even in the Vedas.  Naturally the question arises: How did Varanasi stand the onslaught of Western culture through British rule in the later eighteenth century? Varanasi is also regarded as the main seat of traditional Hindu culture and the religious headquarters of Hinduism. Are such claims justified?

An honest attempt to answer these questions and present a comprehensive account of the city within the time-frame of 1781 and 1857 has been made in this volume. Readers will also find interesting and important pieces of information, some of which were hitherto unknown, regarding the deities and temples, fairs and festivals, mahallas, markets and ghats, learning and literary pursuits, residents and visitors, and miscellaneous ideas and practices of this ancient city as we see them today.

The author, Swami Medhasananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order, and presently the head of its center in Japan.