بنارس

Persian

Etymology

From Hindi बनारस (banāras).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ba.naː.ɾas]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bä.nɑː.ɾäs]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bä.nɑː.ɾäs]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [bä.nɑː.ɾäs]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [bä.nɔː.ɾäs]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [bæ.nɒː.ɹæs]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [bä.nɔ.ɾäs]

Readings
Classical reading?	banāras
Dari reading?	banāras
Iranian reading?	banâras
Tajik reading?	banoras

Proper noun

Dari	بنارس
Iranian Persian
Tajik	Банорас

بنارس • (banâras)

1. Varanasi (a city in Uttar Pradesh, India, sacred to Hinduism and Jainism)

Urdu

Etymology

Inherited from Prakrit 𑀯𑀸𑀭𑀸𑀡𑀲𑀻 (vārāṇasī), from Sanskrit वाराणसी (vārāṇasī). Alternatively, named after the legendary figure of Rājā Bānār, who is said to have rebuilt the city.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /bə.nɑː.ɾəs/
• Rhymes: -əs

Proper noun

بَنارَس • (banāras) f (Hindi spelling बनारस)

1. Benares (a city in Uttar Pradesh, India)

Synonyms

• وارانَسی (vārānasī), کاشی (kāśī)

Derived terms

• بَنارَسی (banārasī)

Further reading

• Platts, John T. (1884) “بنارس”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co., page 168
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “بنارس”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co., page 119
• “بنارس”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.