Hindu Woman Immersed In The Holy, But Polluted, Ganges Water, Raises And Pours A Container Of The Sacred Water At A Bathing Ghat. The Culture Of Varanasi Is Closely Associated With The River Ganges And The River'S Religious Importance.It Is "The Religious Capital Of India"And An Important Pilgrimage Destination.Varanasi, Also Known As Benares, An Ancient City, One Of The World'S Oldest Continually Inhabited Cities, Situated On The Left/West Bank Of The Sacred Ganges River. Regarded As Holy By Hindus, Buddhists, And Jains.? Uttar Pradesh State, India, Asia. ? Paul Quayle / Axiom