The city is as busy as an ant-hill, and the hurly-burly of human life swarming along the web of narrow streets reminds one of the ants.

The sacred cow swarms along, too, and goes whither she pleases, and takes toll of the grain-shops, and is very much in the way, and is a good deal of a nuisance, since she must not be molested.
Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.

From a Hindoo statement quoted in Rev.Mr.Parker's compact and lucid Guide to Benares, I find that the site of the town was the beginning-place of the Creation.

It was merely an upright "lingam," at first, no larger than a stove-pipe, and stood in the midst of a shoreless ocean.

This was the work of the God Vishnu.