News channel gets slammed for calling Varanasi ‘City of the Dead’ in video series teaser

The new show is meant to be a “spiritual adventure series, renowned author and religious scholar Reza Aslan immerses himself in the world’s most fascinating faith-based groups to experience life as a true believer”, according to the CNN website.

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All this sounds extremely fascinating and great, but the channel faced a huge backlash after it tweeted out the teaser with the caption: “It’s known as the city of the dead. @rezaaslan takes you inside on the new CNN series #Believer. Starts Sunday at 10p ET. @CNNOriginals”.

It’s known as the city of the dead. @rezaaslan takes you inside on the new CNN series #Believer. Starts Sunday at 10p ET. @CNNOriginals pic.twitter.com/x8RMufn8lq

— CNN (@CNN) March 4, 2017

The tweet, and more specifically the phrase ‘City of the Dead’, immediately faced a lot of backlash from Indians – spanning across industries and strata. From politicians and authors to historians, many came forward to say that Varanasi is far from being the City of the Dead, and even asked the channel as well as Aslan to apologise for the folly.

Here are some of the reactions:

Varanasi is anything but the city of dead.
It is the oldest ‘living’ city, literally & spiritually. u deserve more of Trump@CNN @rezaaslan

— shilpi tewari (@shilpitewari) March 4, 2017

@CNN I’ve never heard any of my friends from Varanasi describe the city like this. I also lived there for some time and it was pretty lively

— ????? ???? ???? (@iawoolford) March 4, 2017

Varanasi is the City of Lights. There would’ve been outrage if @CNN had presented such an ignorant show about Islam @rezaaslan @CNNOriginals

— Sankrant Sanu ???? (@sankrant) March 4, 2017

@CNN @rezaaslan Varanasi is known for Spirituality and place of Jyotirling Kashi Vishwanath and Sankat Mochan. Think beyond your religion.

— Abhishek Mishra (@Abhishek_Mshra) March 5, 2017

What’s Up with “city of dead”???It is beyond time. Go visit my eternally beautiful city. It will liberate you..#Varanasi #banaras @CNN https://t.co/zTNn56H8KP

— Divya Singh???? (@Divyasingh04) March 5, 2017

Indiana Jones journalism @CNN There’s no secret to ghats & Varanasi city of moksha & rebirth not death. May be Trump is right abt fake news https://t.co/3l6g9doelh

— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) March 5, 2017

.@CNN @rezaaslan @CNNOriginals Your new serial is heavily Hinduphobic. Ashes are immersed, not “dumped”.

— Rajiv Malhotra (@RajivMessage) March 4, 2017

It’s the city of eternal life, not the city of dead. No matter what, the West will never really get the East. You just proceed it @cnn. https://t.co/FfiRmXXpP3

— Yashwant Deshmukh (@YRDeshmukh) March 4, 2017

We Indians do not call Kashi the City of the Dead. It’s the City of Light. Perhaps you guys should do some actual research @cnn & @rezaaslan https://t.co/yel6dtgrfv

— Amish Tripathi (@authoramish) March 5, 2017