Varanasi is a city shaped by religion, but its image is one in which numerous traditions coexist, their various colours cascading over the streets. However, there is another story to be told, one that is less comfortable. The first recorded communal conflicts, commonly known as the "Lat Bhairon" riots, occurred in 1809. According to Asian history researcher Marzia Casolari, numerous people were killed after Hindus sought to erect a Hanuman temple between the Gyanvapi masjid and the Kashi Vishvanath temple in a Muslim-dominated area around Laat Bhairav.
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