 According to legend , Varanasi was founded by the god Shiva . The <unk> , the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata , are also said to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sin of <unk> and <unk> that they had committed during the climactic <unk> War . It is regarded as one of seven holy cities which can provide <unk> ; <unk> , <unk> , <unk> , <unk> , <unk> , <unk> , and <unk> are the seven cities known as the <unk> of liberation . 
