Varanasi also known as Benares, is a city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres south-east of the state capital, Lucknow and is India’s holiest Hindu city, with a spiritual and religious legacy that goes back nearly 3,000 years. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva and in older times was known as Kashi or `Shiv ki Nagri’. The most sacred stretch of the Ganga is at Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world. Dawn on the Ganga is a fabulous sight. The river flows south to north, with the city on the west bank, and fields and trees to the east. Varanasi's complex Old City has a rich culture, attracting many tourists.