25 Beautiful Religious Towns Around the World To Add To Your Bucket List

2. Varanasi, India: The Eternal City

Varanasi, one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, is considered the spiritual heart of India. Situated on the banks of the sacred Ganges, it is a city where life and death coexist harmoniously. Pilgrims flock to its ghats for ritualistic bathing, believing that the holy waters cleanse sins and aid in attaining moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth. The city's labyrinthine alleys are lined with temples, each resonating with the chants of ancient hymns. The evening Ganga Aarti is a spectacle of devotion, with lamps floating on the river, illuminating the path to spiritual awakening.