Benares

by M.A. Sherring

Benares, Kashi or Varanasi--an illustrious place of pilgrimage and an idealized nucleus of faith--has been likened to Jerusalem and mecca. It is acknowledged throughout the world as a core of the Hindu tradition and a seat of ancient learning. It's a city where infinity and continuity, the past and present live together. There are few cities in the world of greater antiquity, and none that have so uninterruptedly maintained their ancient celebrity and distinction. Sherring's book, written just after the freedom struggle of 1857, offers a piercing insight into the culture of the city as seen through the eyes of a European at that time. The book will also tell you why benaras has been for over two and a half thousand years the preeminent sacred city of the Hindus and why it has a primary status on the cultural map of India.REVIEWS: "Blessed is kashi, the city of liberation, adorned by Ganga and the soothing soul-saving, maiden of a river, the Maranikarnika." --ADI SHANKARACHARYA"A book of profound interest which should be read and enjoyed by everyone who wants to know about India and Hindu beliefs." --N.G. SUBBA