Varanasi is the traditional name for Benares, the holy city.
Varanasi may refer to the whole city, but in a more
particular sense, it refers to one of the circular holy zones around the city's
ceremonial core, the Vishvanath temple.
Avimukta is the smallest of these zones, Varanasi is the
second, and Kashi is the biggest.
Varanasi's sacred zone is defined as the area between the
Varana and Asi rivers, which are the traditional boundaries of the city of
Benares, but Varanasi's boundaries do not extend as far inland as Kashi's.
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