Top 5 oldest living cities in India

India is very well known in the world for its oldest civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization: Harappa and Mohenjodaro. India has been always impersonate as land of spiritual integrity by professors of philosophy. One of the oldest city in the world is Varanasi, most importantly it is continuously inhabited up till now. Every oldest city in India is situated on bank of sacred rivers and famous for religious or spiritual activities.

Varanasi: 

Also known as Banaras and Kashi situated on the bank of holiest river of India “Ganges”. Varanasi “The city of temples” is one of the oldest city in the world. Varanasi is also known as the “Religious capital of India”. The city has been a culture and religious center in India for several years. The Indian classical music given by “Banaras Gharana”. Many prominent poets, writers and musician belong to this Holy city of India. Kashi “The city of lights” is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in India. Varanasi is home for famous universities like Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Sampurnanand Sanskrit and Kashi Vidyapeeth, so peoples refer Banaras as “the city of learning”.

Varanasi  "Ghats"

Madurai: 

Madurai is the second largest city of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest cities in India. It is situated on the banks of river vaigai. Madurai also known as “The Temple City” is famous for Meenakshi Temple, which is India’s greatest cultural and architectural landmarks. The entire Madurai city is laid out in the shape of a lotus with the temple at the center and the streets and main thoroughfares layered one after the other concentrically, outward from the center.

Meenakshi Temple-Madurai

Ujjain: 

Ujjain is the modern name for Ujjayini, also known as Avanti is an ancient city of India. Ujjain situated on the banks of holy river Kshipra, Ujjain was the capital of Avanti Kingdom as mention in Mahabharata. Ujjain, stands glamorously among many other Indian sacred and holy cities. The Kumbh Mela religious festival is held here every 12 years. Ujjain is also famous for Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.

Ujjain 

Patna: 

Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. Patna was known as known as Pataliputra, which was the capital of the Magadha Empire. The modern city Patna is situated on the bank of “most Sacred River Ganges“. The pilgrim centers near patna are Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya for all religions of India.

Patna

Pushkar: 

Pushkar is smallest but one of the oldest city in India. Pushkar lies on the Shore of Pushkar Lake. Pushkar is also famous for it’s annual Camel Fair, which is one of India’s most tourism destinations. The most famous temple in pushkar is the Brahma Temple, there are very few temples to Lord Brahma exist anywhere in the world. Presence of large Israeli tourists it may seem like Hebrew has become second language in Pushkar.

Pushkar Lake

Kashi

Wonders of Incredible India - Varanasi - Burning Ghats

Varanasi is built on the banks of the Ganga (Ganges) river. Both the river and the city are considered sacred by Hindus. It is the goal of every Hindu to visit Varanasi at least once in their lifetime.

The most distinguishing feature of the city is its ghats - tall stone steps that lead down to the river. They are the hub of religious and social activity. Thousands of pilgrims visit the city each day, to bathe in the river, to make offerings to the gods, and to bask in the divine light that is said to come from the many temples that line the river — hence its name, The City of Lights.

The 100 or so ghats run for some four miles along the river. Different sections of the ghats are designated for different activities- some for bathing, others for laundry, others for washing cattle, although many are used for multiple activities.

Burning Ghats - on the Banks of River Ganges - Varanasi

Perhaps the most extraordinary activity that takes place along the ghats is the public cremation of bodies.

There are numerous such funeral pyres along the ghats. The one above was a small one, with only one or two pyres going at any one time. The one in the image is the main burning ghat, where a dozen or so cremations happen at any time. Bodies are burned non-stop, all day and all night, several hundred each day. Each one is wrapped in a white muslim cloth and placed in its own stack of wood. It takes 2-3 hours for the body to be reduced to ashes. Relatives (males only) watch the process. Hindus believe that if you die in Varanasi, you are guaranteed release from the birth and rebirth cycle. Being cremated in Varanasi is considered a desirable thing.

Dasaswamedh Ghat

The name of Dasaswamedh Ghat indicates that Brahma sacrificed (medh) 10 (das) horses (aswa) here. Conveniently central, it’s one of the most important and busiest ghats and therefore is a good place to linger and soak up the atmosphere. Note its statues and the shrine of Sitala, goddess of smallpox.

Tulsi Ghat

Tulsi ghat is named after the famous 16th century poet Tulsidas, who spent many years here composing the Ramcharitmanas. His manuscript, it is said, floated instead of sinking in the Ganga. The first performance of Ramlila was held here. A temple of Ram stands on the ghat. The house in which the poet died preserves his samadhi, his wooden clogs, pillow and the idol of Hanuman which he worshipped. There is also a piece of wood from the boat used by him to cross the Ganga.

Dandi Ghat

The Dandi Ghat is the ghat of ascetics known as Dandi Panths. The spartan Hanuman ghat is used by wrestlers and body builders for whom Bajrangbali (Hanuman) is the patron God. Saint Vallabhacharya lived here.

Burning Ghats at Varanasi

Kedar Ghat

Kedar Ghat built by the Maharaja of Vijayanagar in the South is named after Shiva, who dwells in the middle of the spacious temple.This ghat is shrine popular with Bengalis and south Indians. A little below is the Gauri (Parvati) kund whose waters have healing properties.

Mansarowar Ghat

Mansarowar Ghat was built by Raja Man Singh of Amber and named after the Tibetan lake at the foot of Mt. Kailash, Shiva’s Himalayan home.

Manikarnika Ghat

Manikarnika Ghat,one of the oldest and most sacred in Varanasi. Manikarnika is main burning ghat and one of most auspicious places that a Hindu can be cremated. Bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and they are carried through alleyways of old city to the holy Ganges on a bamboo stretcher swathed in cloth. The corpse is doused in Ganga prior to cremation. You will see huge piles of firewood stack along the top of the ghat, each log carefully weighted on giant scales so that the price of cremation can be calculated. There are no problems watching cremations, since at Manikarnika death is simply business as usual, but don’t take photos and keep your camera well hidden.

Dattatreya Ghat

Dattatreya Ghat bears the footprint of Brahmin saint of that name in a small temple nearby.

Panchganga Ghat

Panchganga Ghat as its name indicates, is where five rivers are supposed to meet. Dominating the ghat is Aurangazeb’s smaller mosque, also known as the Alamgir Mosque, which he built on the site of large vishnu temple erected by the Maratha chieftain Beni Madhav Rao Scindia.

Man Mandir Ghat

This ghat was built in 1600 but was poorly restored in the 19th century. The northern corner of the ghat has a fine stone balcony and Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur erected one of his unusual observations on this ghat in 1710.

Harishchandra Ghat

The Harishchandra Smashan Ghat is a secondary burning ghat. It is one of the oldest ghats in city.

Assi Ghat

The Assi Ghat is one of the five special ghats which pilgrims are supposed to bathe at in sequence during the ritual route called Panchatirthi Yatra.

Trilochan Ghat

The Trilochan Ghat has two turrets merging from the river, and was water between them is especially holy.

Bachraj Ghat

The Bachraj Ghat is a Jain and there are three riverbank Jain Temples. Many of ghats are owned by Maharajas or other princely rulers, such as the very fine Shivala Ghat owned by the maharaja of Varanasi.