For those interested in the esoteric: Varanasi is the center (hub) of the abstract डमरु, ḍamaru, formed by the two spirals of the Ganga River; the left curls up, and the right curls down. 
Also, as an aside, Kaveri, the Dakshina Ganga (कावेरी, दक्षिण गंगा), has two spirals that mirror those of the Ganga: the left one is convex and the right one is concave.
Kāśī is a representation of the cosmos in many different layers.
A map with the directional deities of Kāśī काशी मण्डल by Rana P.B. Singh.
A map with the directional deities of Kāśī काशी मण्डल by Rana P.B. Singh.
The esoteric cosmology of Kāśī काशी, where the land and its shrines mirror the Cosmic Being. Relationships of the four circuits to the elements, drawn by Rana P.B. Singh.
The correspondence between the outer and the inner continues from previous tweet. The number of Shiva and Ganesha shrines is 56 (7 chakras x 8 directions). 108 is the measure of the outer and inner cosmos. 72= 9 graha x 8 directions?
