A "VISITORS' GUIDE" with a difference has been produced for one of the country's most popular sightseeing and pilgrimage destinations.
Love Varanasi takes readers on a prayer trip around one of the most revered Hindu cities of Uttar Pradesh, northern India.
The booklet has been distributed around the world by Youth With A Mission, to rally prayer for the city - home of the god Shiva, one of three main Hindu deities - which they say exerts great influence in both Asian and Western countries.
One of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi - on the banks of the sacred River Ganges - draws thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year, as well as Western travelers seeking spiritual enlightenment.
Hundreds of temples line the waterfront, where devout Hindus bathe in the belief that they receive a special blessing from the holy waters of the river - known as the river of life.
"Knowing that the very three states that the river flows through are the three poorest in India shows the reality of the river's influence," observes the guide, which says that God wants Varanasi to be associated with the gospel rather than other religions.
"We want to see more people praying for Varanasi because of its key influence on the Hindu religion, and through that not just India and other parts of Asia but the West, too," said David Krishnan, director of the YWAM team in the city.
"We can see from history that Varanasi is a world influencer. One of her older names is Kashi, which means 'the illuminated one' or 'city of light'.
"We believe God's intention is for Varanasi to be a world influencer, a city of light, to show the world what true worship and righteousness is.
"It has been and still is a place of learning. The things that are learned here tend to go out and touch the world."
Divided into 30 daily subjects, the simple guide explains Hindu beliefs and how they have shaped the character of the city- such as the elderly people to be seen living out their final days along the banks of the river, in the belief that dying in Varanasi frees them from suffering.
"We are seeing tremendous hunger for the gospel in the surrounding villages, but not so far in Varanasi," said Krishnan. "We think that concentrated prayer will help change that."
Last updated: 1996, June 08 /pf