A HOLY CITY FOR HINDUS
The city of Varanasi, India, also known as Banaras, has more than a
thousand places to pray—temples for people who belong to the Hindu
religion.
Most Hindu temples have many shrines. Hindus go to these shrines to
pray. Each temple has a main shrine for one important god or goddess.
One of the most visited temples is the Temple of Shiva. The god Shiva is
one of the three most important gods. The other two are Brahma and
Vishnu.
About a million Hindus from all over India visit the holy city of
Banaras every year. Before praying in the temples, pilgrims go down the
ghats, or stairways, into the Ganges River. They believe that if they
bathe in the river, they will wash away their sins. The sick and the
crippled go into the river hoping the water will cure them.
All Hindus believe that if their dead bodies or ashes are placed in the
river, the Ganges will carry them to eternal happiness.
