Re-searching Varanasi in my voyage

Re-searching Varanasi in my voyage:
1) Microsoft Encarta described Varanasi as one of the oldest surviving cities on Earth today. Its history is claimed to be over 3000years old. Also, it was City, not a village or Just another human settlements. Jericoh , in Israel , is the oldest Village.
2) Lord Shiva, one of chief gods of Hindu mythology, is said to have chosen Varanasi for his final settlement after his marriage with Parvati.
In equivalent terms, the story sounded to me like - a software engineer chosing to settle in Noida, or Newyork after doing lots of on-sites in many parts of the world. We know on what all basis a man decides all this. More, when he has married a rich beautiful girl for his wife, who comes from, say Uttranchal. :-D. The best and finest cities possible. That was Varanasi for a choice in those times of Lord Shiva.
3) Varanasi flourished as centre for arts ( there are two schools of Kathak dance as per Indian beliefs, Benares and Jaipur), Spirituality ( centre for religion, many of the oldest scriptures are suppose to have been written here, Tulsidas's Ramayan being one most recent ones among many) . Chandrakant Santati by Deviki nandan Khatri has its plot revolving around the fort of Ramnagar,and Chunar. Kabir was from this city.
4) Varanasi was a centre for accomplishments in art related fields. Bismillah Khan- the shehnai player is from Varanasi.
5) it was the centre for researches into philosophical matters. Lord buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath in Varanasi. Buddhism and its philosophy are today treated as the first truest contribution to the field of some practical philosophy by Hindu religion. Buddha taught about the Middle path, and how to live a peaceful happy life. His language was of the common people.
Before him, most of the philosophical contributions by Vedic religion were slowly turned into story of some mystical gods, like Ramayan and Mahabharata, which the traders on the famous Silk Route did not take much interest in. That might help understand how Buddhism became popular in China, Korea and Japan in comparison with Vedic Dharma. Vedas and Bhagwad Gita did not make as strong impact outside Indian land as did Buddhism. Although Buddha's teaching can be said to be influentially borrowed from Vedas only. Maybe language barrier was the cause.
6) Buddhism, later, some 2500 years later, is supposedly the influencing source for Christ's religion. In this sense Vedas can be said to be out-source point for many different religions.
7) Iran's original religion is supposedly a very close sister religion of the Vedic Dharma. A fact, which brings the archeologists to claim that Aryans migrated in two groups- one settled in iran and the other in northern India.
8) Philosophy continued to be the 'main thought' of dwellers of Ganges Basin. Perhaps so much so that the Maharashtrians today say that Biharis and Bhaiya have a tremendous 'Convincing Power'. Nevertheless, the shastrarth, a formal debate on Vedic knowledge and interpretations, became a forte of Varanasi dwellers. An annual round of debate is suppose to happen , organised by Maharaja Benares, between the six groups of Brahmins. Since the Maithali Brahmins have won it maximum number of times, they are suppose to be most intelligents of all sects of Brahmins ( refer Wikipedia search on topic Brahmins).
9) Benares generally host the Pandey, Mishra ,vajpayee, Dubey, Pathaks, Tripathi, Shukla , Dwivedi , Chaturvedi clubs of Brahmins. A Brahmin, by Vedic technicality is NOT a caste, but a concept which helps one know the consequences of action (Karma) later in time. In equivalent terms, it is the combined form of Rule 2 (responsibility) and Rule 6(safe speed) along with general Prudence , of the Colregs 1972. the british and the muslim invaders mis-interpreted Brahmanism, giving Brahmins also as a caste-form. Otherwise, it is but a philosophical research. Researcher from any caste would become a Brahmin ones his research was over. That also explains the reasons for these surnames among the Brahmins which is actually the Upadhi ( a status title) earned by them. Shastri is one more such title. Benares was one centre for these jobs.
A pandit , or a temple priest is different from a Brahmin, although essentially seen as one and same, by way of inter-marriages. Thus many other clubs, such as Vajpayee, Pandey, Shukla are only priest, taken as Brahmin, for knowledge on how to conduct a prayer ceremony.
10) Philosophy later attached with the Benares Hindu University became very popular study in the city. Dr S Radhakrishnan, the first Vice President, himself a 'Doctor of Philosophy in Philsosophy' was the vice chancellor of BHU from where he took over as the vice-president. His birthday is marked as Teachers Day in India.
11) B.K Matilal, another product from BHU, is the most read authors of study books on Indian Philosophy. His Nayay thesis( justice, -method of proving an argument) is supposedly the closest resemblance work of Indian Philosophy to the Aristotlean theories on the same topic. He is known for many other achievements.
12) Benares has got three different universities: BHU, sanskrit vidyapeeth, and one more( refer Wikipedia).
13) Pan chewing (beetle leaves) is a typical cultural habit of Varanasi dwellers. In this intense atmosphere of spiritual Philsosophy and debates, I can notice thyroid related problem to be immense. These problems are mostly of origin from emotional stresses one undergoes in this kind of atmosphere. Pan leaves with Chuna (lime) and tobacco maybe one of the locally found neutralizer for the bile juices produced from liver in higher stress conditions. Thyroid is the chief triggering hormones for such work. Thyroid in itself is impacted by Pitutatry Gland, which is master gland located in the brain. Ones thinking-center is located there too. Thus emotional stress show up as body disorders.
thyroid - hypo or hyper, shows up as losing hair, bulgy eyes, crumbled legs, weak bones, low energy level, high climate temperature intolerance, kidney or liver problem, calcium imbalances in bones, etc.
I noticed these problems in many life forms , including humans, cows, dogs.
Sports and Athletics maybe the most distant choice for Varanasi dwellers. Politics is naturally the closest.