Banaras is one of the four holy places that a Hindu must visit in his lifetime. It is said that if one breathes one’s last in Banaras, he goes to heaven. Varanasi is commonly known as Benares, or Banaras and Kashi, and is situated on the banks of the River Ganges in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometers (199 mi) southeast of the state capital Lucknow.