Varanasi has a unique crescent line river bank elaborately stuffed with numerous Ghats, mesmerising & enchanting. There are all together 84 ghats lined side by side from Assi to Raj Ghat. The city is east facing boundaries laying between Assi & Varuna rivers. The direction of the sacred river Ganga is northward in city. In Indian culture a place where two rivers join is sacred so in Varanasi the numbers are three. In earlier post I have mentioned the city name as Anandvan. 

In ancient past Varanasi had numerous water bodies inside the city among them two important ones were Matsyodri Kund & Godavari now known as inhabited areas named Godwalia & Machhodari. James Princep drew the Matsyodri Kund in his drawings of Varanasi. Generally the flow of Matsyodri was northward into Varuna river & Godavari eastward in Ganga, but at the time of rains river Ganga increased & flowed in Varuna & Matyodari Kund that flowed towards Godavari & in Ganga again. So the whole are used to become an island. At that time it was venerated most & was a time of large congregation or Tirth. Further to this area all surroundings were forests with many Asharams & Maths. At that time it was called as Anandvan, a city so unique which had all the pious signs & inhabited by Shiva & Parvati. Ares like Kamachha, Durga Kund, Kinaram etc. were inhabited by Tantric cults worshiping ancient Gods of India Matridevi & Pashupatinath. They were nature worshipers & venerated natural sings. One major aspect of Varanasi is found in Indian religious texts that buying & selling lands in city is prohibited. 

A place so unique & representing cosmological city can't be inhabited by no one from outside. At that point of time mighty Kings & Kingdoms built there Havelies & Forts at river bank not to reside but for locals & Pandits, so in future whenever they will come to city they could reside there. One aspect of River Ganga is so crucial not to negate is that no structure can hold the force of river in rainy season. So to secure the forts they built Stairs going deep down into the river that can hold sliding sands from river current. The engineering of Ghats is so well planned & studious that even after these long years they are still intact even with daily use of thousands.