The art and culture of Varanasi is unique. It is the rich cultural tradition of Varanasi that makes it the cultural capital of India. A combination of archaeology, mythology, geography, art and history makes Varanasi a great center of Indian culture. Though Varanasi is associated mainly with Hinduism and Buddhism but one can find glimpse of many religious beliefs, types of worship and religious institutions at Varanasi. It is amazing to see the primitive worship cults being practiced at Varanasi. 

Varanasi presents a complete museum of Indian art and culture. At Varanasi one can feel the changing patterns and movements in course of history. It has a rich and unique style of art forms and folk art. For centuries, Varanasi has produced master craftsmen and earned name and fame for its beautiful Sarees, handicrafts, textiles, toys, ornaments, metal work, clay and woodwork and other crafts.

Since ancient times, Varanasi has been the Capital of all knowledge (sarva Vidya ki Rajdhani). Varanasi has produced numerous famous scholars and intellectuals, who have left their mark in respective fields of activity. Varanasi is home to numerous universities, college, schools, Madarsas and Pathshalas and the Guru Shishya tradition still continue in many institutions. The literary tradition of languages, dialects, newspapers, magazines and libraries continue to even this day.

Varanasi presents a unique social and cultural fabric. Cultural and linguist pluralism and various ethnic groups are so very eternal to the holy city, Varanasi. At Varanasi one gets to explore the city of affluence, intellectuals, oral traditions, castes and customs, personalities, professions and communal harmony. There is another interesting facet to Varanasi, where one gets to enjoy Benarasi pans, Thandai, Gamcha, Bahri Alang and Mauj Masti.

Music, drama and entertainment are all synonymous with Varanasi. Benaras has long been famous for its music, both vocal and instrumental and has its own dance traditions. Add to this, Varanasi has a very rich stock of folk music and drama (esp. Ramlila), fairs and festival and the rich tradition of akharas, games and sports. All these combine together to give a distinct look to the city of moksha, Varanasi.

3. Religious Varanasi- Many religions, place and types of worship, a religious place and institutions. You will find that even Primitive worship cults are still practiced in this city. Discover the city of Buddha, Jain Tirthankars, Shaiva and Vaishnava saints or Devoted saints like Kabir and Tulsi.

4. Arts, Crafts and Architecture of Banaras: You will be amused to see that Varanasi is a Museum architectural designs. It presents changing patterns and movements in course of history. It has a rich and original variety of paintingand sculptor styles and equally rich treasures of folkart. During the ages Varanasi has produced master craftsmen and Varanasi has earned name and fame for its Sarees, handicrafts, textiles, Toys,, ornaments, metal work, clay and wood work, leaf and fibre crafts. With ancient crafts, Banaras has not lagged behind in Modern Industries.

5. Discover Ganga- the holiest of the holy river- its mythology, geography, socio- economic aspects, its monumental ghats and their story and the present condition of pollution.

6. The Capital of all knowledge- Discover the most ancientseat of education in India World the famous scholars and their `Shastrarthas', the great scholars, universities, college, schools, Madarsas and Pathshalas and Guru Shishya traditions, the qpics, famous literary works, languages and dialects, journalistic traditions- newspapers and magazine, and famous libraries.

7. Discover the social and cultural fabric- Organisation of sacred complex and social spaces, the cultural pluristic, linguistic and ethnic groups. Discover the city of poverty, disparity, slums, beggars, widows, criminals, and also the city of affluence, intellectuals, oral traditions, castes and customs, personalities, professions, communal harmony and `riots'. Discover the rural Varanasi. And finally (and with deep insight) peep into, the pleasures of Pans, Thandai, Gamcha, Bahri Alang and Mauj Masti.

8. The City of Music and Drama and Entertainment: Banaras has been famous for its Music both vocal instrumental, it has its own dance tradition. Add to this a very rich stock of folk Music and drama (esp. Ramlila), the tradition Musical soirees, fairs and festival the rich tradition of Akharas, games and sports. Add to this classical Banaras Transport vehicles like Ekka and Modern Traffic Jam.

9. Industrial City: Discover the fast developing city of heavy, light and cottage industries, local handicrafts and other small scale industrial units. ( DLW, BHEL, Electric, Cycle, paper, Glass, Fertilizer etc.)

10. Medical World of Varanasi: Discover the ancient College of Plastic Surgery, Sushruta, Dhanvantri (God of Medicine), Divodas, and practice of all the ancient and modern systems of medicine in action.

11. The Unseen Banaras: Discover the spots around Varanasi, instituions, story of freedom struggle and the martyrs, history of Kashiraj, history of Sarnath, history of Bhadohi (Carpet town), of Mirzapur, of Ghazipur, know about the famous travellers and tourists, of the `Nigam'. And finally having seen the Panorama of Banaras, its continuity of culture, discover the identity of Banaras.

The golden era of the history of Indian paintings, begins with the paintings executed on the walls. The walls of the caves were the prime support, which early man first chose to express his feelings on which he transformed his art through Indian red and charcoal. These precious paintings were found on the stone blocks and on the walls of the different caves at Mirzapur, Bhopal, Manikpur, Singhanpur, Hoshangabad, Raigarh region, Panchmarhi, Raisen, Gwalior etc.

The tradition of wall paintings in India had attained its excellence in the caves of Ajanta, Bagh and Badami, during the period between 200 BC to 700 CE. All these paintings were very naturally and artistically created under the classical principles of an ideal art.

Varanasi being a cultural capital of India, nourishes her art, through which one can have a glimpse of the whole Indian culture. Every hook and corner of the city bears the wall paintings of Banaras. A unique co-ordination of the features of the local folk art, Rajasthani, Mughal and company art, present in these paintings are the special characteristics of these paintings.

Though the story of the cultural rise in Varanasi begins with the development of the human civilisation but before the excavations of Sarnath and Rajghat, we find no evident description of any form of art in varanasi. Art historians have not named it as 'Banaras' style as yet. Where as on the basis of the excavations of Sarnath and Rajghat, there are the solid evidences for the existing centre of the ancient art at Varanasi.

The lion capital of the Ashokan pillar from Sarnath, the stupa, the toys, the accessories and the terracotta sculptures from Rajghat are the early sources of the rich art of Varanasi. By ascertaining some painted toys from Rajghat, the existing tradition of art in Varanasi in the past can be concluded. Before 18th century we find no remainings of paintings from Varanasi. The main reason behind it was that due to Mughal's supremacy over India, the cultural progress of this city was minimum than other Mughal capitals. Though there should be the evidences for the wall paintings in Varanasi, but due to Mughal fanaticism, many architectures owing examples of wall paintings had been ruined.

On account of Lalji Mussawars residing in Varanasi in the advanced years of 18th century and his relation with a local artist Gwal Sikkhi, the art of Varanasi got influenced with Mughal features as well as Varanasi's traditional fun and festive mood. Further it met changes, influenced with company and Bengal style, respectively.

Though during the period of Maharajas of Banaras, there had not been any chronological order of the paintings over here, yet from the period of Maharaja Udit Narayan (1795-1835) we were having many dated examples of paintings. Possibly he himself got painted the walls of Kali Mandir, a private temple inside the Ramnagar Fort . We have the dated painting series of Ramacharitmanas and a dated painting portrait of Chetsingh of 1809 AD. Both have collected in Bharat Kala Bhawan, Varanasi. These paintings have characteristics of company style.

In 1835 CE, Shri Ishawari Narayan Singh, the then Maharaja of Banaras was the main patron of art and learning. The art connoisseur Rai krishna Das has written in his book 'Bhartiya Kala',-" Maharaja of Banaras patronised the local artists as Jahangir did in the Mughal period . By the time of Sri Ishwari Narayan Singh, the company style had been spread all over the country after British's arrival in India. Company style comprises the features of realistic art which became the common ground for the painting of traditional Indian peoples' heart.

In 1824 CE an English traveller Pope Bishop Heber came to visit Banaras. Through his travelogue it is evident that company painting had become a status symbol in the contemporary society. An European lady traveller had specially appreciated the paintings of Varanasi.

The Company paintings of Banaras were produced by the local artists as well as by the foreign artists. Among these paintings there were some Landscapes of the Ghats made by Thomas Danials and his nephew William Danials. To sketch these landscapes they travelled by boat in the river Ganges, from Kolkata to Kanpur. Many of these drawings are in collection in Bharat Kala Bhawan, Varanasi.

The few of the paintings are in collection of Late Sri Vibhuti Narayan Singh, the then Maharaja of Banaras, like the Ramayan series, executed on the walls of the Ramnagar Fort. Besides, there are the wall paintings with features of Rajasthani, Mughal and Company style. A few of them are on the walls of Bhonsala Mandir at Bhonsala Ghat and on Sheetal ka Akhadra subjecting God Vishnu, Shankar and Ganesh.

In the beginning of the 20th century the artists of Varanasi were a few one who were the followers of the Bengal school. The subjects they adopted for their expression were drawn from the literary sources from myths, legends and history. Shanti Ranjan Bose, a brilliant student of Nandlal Bose, artist of Bengal school and Ranada Ukil, who founded Ukil School over here, were the main artists who nourished the stream of art at Varanasi.

In 1920 Late Sri Rai Krishna Das founded a museam 'Bharat Kala Bhawan' in the Banaras Hindu University campus. An ancestral artist Ustad Sharda Prasad and a Neplease artist Sri Karnman Singh prodused many paintings in traditional indian style at Bharat Kala Bhawan.

The beginning of a Fine Arts School by the University at Birla Sanskrit Mahavidyalay in 1949, gave many artists a platform to work for the sake of art, to express their art forms through and to train many new aspirants. K.S. Kulkarni the first Dean of the Faculty of Visual arts, J.M. Ahivasi, Prof. B. S. Katt, and A. P. Gajjar, were the early artists of Varanasi. Sri Dilip Das Gupta and Sri K.S. Jena are a few of the most senior presant artists of Varanasi.

Apart from these, the tradition of creating litreture in the feild of art at Varanasi has been very significant. In the beginning of the nineteenth centuary, the art historian Dr. Vasudev Shran Agrawal wrote a book ' Bhartiya Kala' which is the base of studing Indian art history. He analysed and gave a new aesthetic sense by combining Indian art with Vedic culture and middle east's art history. Following the tradition, Sri Moti Chand, a bosom friend of Sri Vasudev Sharan Agrawal, studied Indian art and gave a new examination and a new concorance to Indian art history. Dr. Rai Anand Krishna Das is also having deep insight in this subject. His disciple Dr. Banu Agrawal flourished Indian Art History by writing many books, 'Bhartiya Kala Ke Mool Srota' and 'Malwa Painting in Valmiki Ramayan' etc. Another Scholar Mr. Anjan Chakraverti has also written a few books on Indian Miniature Paintings.