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Varanasi

American

[vuh-rah-nuh-see] / vəˈrɑ nə si /

noun

a city in southeastern Uttar Pradesh, in northeastern India, on the Ganges River: Hindu holy city.

Varanasi British

/ vəˈrɑːnəsɪ /

noun

Former names: Benares. Banaras. a city in NE India, in SE Uttar Pradesh on the River Ganges: probably dates from the 13th century _bc ; an early centre of Aryan philosophy and religion; a major place of pilgrimage for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists, with many ghats along the Ganges; seat of the Banaras Hindu University (1916), India's leading university, and the Sanskrit University (1957). Pop: 1 100 748 (2001)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Varanasi

Since Modi came to power numerous Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh places of worship have undergone extensive renovation, as have holy sites such as Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

During a videotaped interview with an Indian news agency at the Ganges River in Varanasi, Mr. Singh praised the powerful prime minister, Narendra Modi, for celebrating “our rich cultural heritage.”

From New York Times ● Jun. 1, 2024

Varanasi is one of the world’s oldest cities and it’s often called India’s spiritual capital.

From BBC ● May 29, 2024

The constituency of Varanasi, with around 1.7 million voters, will go to the polls on June 1.

From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2024

This time there was no money for a funeral in Varanasi.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023