Portrait of a brown goat on the streets of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. Experiencing the busy streets of Varanasi (also known as Benares) on the banks of the Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh. Considered holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, Varanasi is the oldest continuously inhabited city in India (possibly in the entire world) and is home to more than 1.3 million people who crowd its narrow streets.