According to legend, Varanasi was founded by the god Shiva. There happened a fight between the two supreme gods, Brahma and Shiva, and the succeeding combat resulted in one of the four heads of Brahma being torn off by Shiva. It was a custom of the time that the victor carried the slain adversary’s head in his hand and let it hang down from his hand as an act of ignominy and a sign of his own bravery. A bridle was also put into the mouth. Shiva thus dishonored Brahma's head, and kept it with him at all times. When he came to the city of Varanasi in this state, the hanging head of Brahma dropped from Shiva's hand and disappeared in the ground. The land of Varanasi is therefore considered an extremely holy religious site.

The Pandavas, the protagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, are said to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sin of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya that they had committed during the climactic Kurukshetra War. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities (Sapta Puri) which can provide Moksha; Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Kanchi, Avanti, and Dvārakā are the seven cities known as the givers of liberation.

Archaeological evidence
Archaeological evidence of the earliest known settlements in the vicinity of Varanasi suggest that such urban settlement of the area began ca. 2000 BCE,[12] placing Varanasi among the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities according to Kenneth Fletcher.These archaeological remains suggest that the Varanasi area was populated by Vedic people. The oldest known text referencing the city, the Atharvaveda, also dates to approximately the same period, and suggests that the area was populated by indigenous tribes. It is possible that additional archaeological evidence of these previous inhabitants may also yet be discovered.Recent excavations at Aktha and Ramnagar, two sites very near to Varanasi, show them to be from 1800 BCE, also supporting the view that the Varanasi area was inhabited by this time.

Ancient period
Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. During the time of Gautama Buddha, Varanasi was part of the Kingdom of Kosala. The Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BCE when he gave his first sermon, "The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Dharma", at nearby Sarnath. The celebrated Chinese traveller Xuanzang, also known as Hiuen Tsiang, who visited the city around 635 CE, attested that the city was a centre of religious and artistic activities, and that it extended for about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) along the western bank of the Ganges. When Xuanzang, visited Varanasi in the 7th century, he named it "Polonisse" and wrote that the city had some 30 temples with about 30 monks.The city's religious importance continued to grow in the 8th century, when Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi.

Medieval period

Kabir, a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint
Chandradeva, founder of the Gahadavala dynasty made Banaras a second capital in 1090.

During the Mauryan era, Varanasi was connected by a road starting from Taxila and ending at Pataliputra.

Varanasi remained the centre of activity for intellectuals and theologians during the Middle Ages, which further contributed to its reputation as a cultural centre of religion and education. Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir who was born here in 1389,[23] and Ravidas, a 15th-century socio-religious reformer, mystic, poet, traveller, and spiritual figure, who was born and lived in the city and employed in the tannery industry.
Manikarnika Ghat (Hindi: मणिकर्णिका घाट) is one of the holiest among the sacred riverfronts (ghats), alongside the river Ganga. It is believed that a dead human's soul finds salvation (moksha), when cremated here. Thus, scores of the elderly across the whole country seek to walk upto its edges, and spend their last days absorbing the charisma of the ghat - which makes even death painless and insignificant to be pondered upon.

In India, death is considered as a gateway to another life received as a result of our past actions (karma).] The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here.

Dashashwamedh Ghat (Hindi:दशाश्वमेध घाट) is the main ghat in Varanasi on the Ganga River. It is located close to Vishwanath Temple and is probably the most spectacular ghat. Two Hindu legends are associated with it: According to one, Lord Brahma created it to welcome Lord Shiva. According to another legend, Lord Brahma sacrificed ten horses during Dasa-Ashwamedha yajna performed here.

Manikarnika Ghat in 1922. Temples are L to R: Baba Mashan Nath, Lower level: Tarkeshwar and Ratneshawar, upper level: Tripur Sundari and Ganesh

It is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi. The Manikarnika Ghat is mentioned in a Gupta inscription of 5th century. It is revered in Hindu religion. When Mata Sati (Aadi shakti mata) sacrificed her life & set her body ablaze after Raja Daksh Prajapati (one of the sons of Lord Brahma) tried to humiliate Lord shiva in a Yagya practiced by Daksh. Lord Shiva took her burning body to the Himalaya. On seeing the unending sorrow of Lord shiva, Vishnu sends the Divine chakra to cut the body into 51 parts which fall on earth. They are called "Ekannya Shaktipeeth". Lord Shiva established Shakti Peeth wherever Sati's body had fallen. At Manikarnika ghat, Mata Sati's Ear's ornament had fallen.

The Manikarnika shrine as a Shakti Peeth
Main articles: Daksha Yaga and Shakti Peethas

Shiva carrying the corpse of Sati Devi
The Manikarnika shrine is an important place of worship for Shaktism sect of Hinduism, It is near to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation is the mythology behind the origin of Shakti Peethas. The etymology of the place is due to this mythology. It is believed that Sati Devi's Ear Rings has fallen here. Manikarna in Sanskrit means Ear Rings.

Shakti Peethas are shrines that are believed to be enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. Each temple have shrines for Shakti. The Shakti of Manikarnika is addressed as Vishalakshi & Manikarni.

Significance

Mourners carrying a body
Hindu mythology teaches that the ghat is especially sacred and that people cremated there receive moksha. As the myth goes, Vishnu, after several thousand years of tapasya, trying to please Shiva, to convince him to not destroy the holy city of Kashi when he destroys the world, managed to do so.

Lord Shiva along with Parvati came to Kashi before Vishnu to grant him his wish. Vishnu dug a kund (well) on the bank of Ganga for the bath of the couple. When Lord Shiva was bathing a Mani (Jewel) from his earring fell into the kund, hence the name Manikarnika (Mani:Beads Karnam:Ear Angad: Ornament). There is another myth about the ghat : the ear jewel from lord Shiva fell down while he was dancing angrily, which fell on the earth and thus Manikarnika Ghat formed.

Manikarnika Kund

Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, Varanasi, India
The well at the ghat is called Manikarnika Kund and was built by Lord Vishnu.