Varanasi is a city shaped by religion, yet its self-image is one in which numerous traditions coexist, with their various colours flowing over the streets. However, there is another, less reassuring story to be told. The 'Lat Bhairon' riots, which took place in 1809, were among the first recorded communal conflicts. Several people were killed after Hindus sought to build a Hanuman temple in a Muslim-dominated area near Laat Bhairav between the Gyanvapi masjid and the Kashi Vishvanath temple, according to Asian history researcher Marzia Casolari's report.
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