SEMINAR -1

"Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, even older than legend
and looks twice as old as all of them put together."
-- Mark Twain
CONTENT
CITY PROFILE
LOCATION AND LINKAGES
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
PHYSICAL GROWTH OF CITY
 LOCATION AND LINKAGES

Varanasi is located 797 km southeast of New Delhi,

320 km southeast of Lucknow, 121 km east of
Allahabad.

Varanasi , also known as

Benares or Kashi , is a city on
the banks of the river Gange in
Uttar Pradesh
Source:census of India 2001&2011
 ACTIVITIES ON THE GHATS
Due to high concentration of pilgrims and tourists the ghat area is a highly
active and dynamic area. One can see lot of religious, traditional and
commercial activities on the ghats. “Appropriation of space”

Source://www.google.co.in
 HISTORICAL TIMELINE
 2nd CENTURY BC: traditional core of the city is
established.
 10-11th CENTURY AD: period of golden age.
 12th CENTURY AD: city is brought under Hindu and
Muslim rule.
 13th CENTURY AD: city is bought under rule of
ramnagar
Muslim nawabs. Traditional
core
 1585 AD: the traditional core is brought under
Akbar’s mughal empire.
 1725 AD: the kashiraj dynasty establishes Ramnagar.
 1775 AD: british gain political control over the city.
 1794 AD: the cantonment is established.
 1862 AD: the first railway link between calcutta and
benaras is established. Mughal empire

 1916 AD: Benaras Hindu University is established.

 1950 AD: the first master plan for the city was
prepared.
 1974 AD: Varanasi Development Authority was
formed.
BHU
 1991 AD: “Draft Master Plan 2001” was prepared.
 SPATIAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE
TRADITIONAL CORE

Multiple foci within

radial structure

Areas located in the

proximity of the river
The city’s topography assume greater social
consists of three significance.
mounds resembling
lord shiva’s trishul.
These are recognized Multiple foci within
spatial structure
as three sacred cores.
SPATIAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE
TRADITIONAL CORE

Water bodies Radial street networks

Superimposition of radial
Orthogonal street networks and orthogonal street
networks
PHYSICAL GROWTH OF THE CITY

Princep’s drawing of
Benaras in 1822
Forests and reefs Water bodies
19th century area of 112.26 sq. km)

Flood plains

2011-master plan,area of 144.89 sq. km

 SIGNIFICANT EVOLUTION FROM 1830-1880
 In the later half of the nineteenth century, the most significant change is
the -increase in the pakka mahal which rapidly encroached upon the
kachcha houses.
 Also all vacant spaces in the immediate neighbourhood of the Ganga were
filled in by Pakka houses.
 The two ill-drained areas, formerly
occupied by the Godaulia Nala and
the Misra Pokhra Jhil in the
south and the Maidagin and
Machhodari tank in the north
disappeared.
 The site of the Maidagin tank
gradually came to be replaced by
the Company garden, north
of the present a center of the
city. The Machhodari tank was
drained into the Ganga though an
underground channel.
 RAMNAGAR

 Ramnagar was founded by the Kashiraj dynasty in 1752.

 It is located on the eastern bank of the river ganga.
 Ramnagar comprises a continuous linear edge of civic
buildings enclosing an avenue.
 The built form is generally 2 to 3 stories high.
 The civic spine connect the fort at the western end to the
city gate at the eastern end.
Strategic location of ramnagar

Ramnagar fort

Plan of ramnagar
 COLONIAL SETTLEMENT

 The colonial settlement was located in proximity to

river varna, 4miles from the traditional core.
 The british had political control over Varanasi from
1775 until 1947.
 The settlement comprises of cantonment, a civil
station and administrative quarters.
 Each component of the colonial settlement was
located around an independent focus and comprised
of a mix of institutional and residential uses.
 The settlement has characteristic wide open spaces.
 The buildings are 1 to 2 stories high. Map of colonial settlement

Colonial bunglow
 BENARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY

 The university was founded in 1916.

 It is located on the south western banks of the river
ganga.
 It is defined by it’s composite semi-circular pattern.
 The character is based on forms derived from
western principles and stylized by traditional Indian BHU
motifs.

University road

Plan of the university

Residential building in the university
 CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT
 The organization principles of the contemporary settlements are based on
formalized zoning codes.
 The buildings can be distinguished from one another on the basis of
functional differences.
 The housing typologies range from plotted and group housing to squatters.

Residential development
 EVOLUTION OF THE GHATS
There are presently 84 ghats along the edge of the
river, but there are five ghat (panchtirth)which
are considered most sacred among all the ghats.
These include:
 Assi Ghat
 Dasashwamedh ghat
 Manikarnika ghat
 Panchganga ghat
 Adikeshav ghat

Aarti at Assi ghat

 SPATIAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE
COLONIAL SETTLEMENT

Street networks in the colonial settlement

Location of the colonial settlement wrt the
traditional core
Factors resulting in deformed
Factors affecting location: street pattern:
 Traditional core considered  Existing features
“dangerous/unhygenic”  Topography
 Less investment  “ Green villages “ in london
 Proximity to river
 STASTICAL DATA

Location:Longitude 83.0 Latitude:25.20

Geographical
1535 Sq. Km.
Area(2001) No. of Block 8
No. of Nyay Panchayats 108
Population (2011) 3,682,194 No. of Gram Panchayats 702
(1) Male (2011) 1,928,641
No. of Villages 1327
(2) Female (2011) 1,753,553
(1) Inhabitated 1289
(3) Rural (2001) 1878100
(4) Urban (2001) 1260570 (2) Uninhabitated 38
(5) Scheduled Caste 435540 Town/Group of towns (2001) 4
(6) Scheduled Tribes 770 (1) Nagar Nigam 1
(7) Sex Ratio 909 (2) Nagar Palika Parishad 1
(8) Population Density 2399 per.sq.km.
(3) Nagar Panchayat 1
Literacy 77.05 %
(4) Cantonment Board 1
(1) Male 85.12 %
No. of Police Stations 25
(2) Female 68.20 %
No. of Tehsil 3 (1) Rural 8
(2) Urban 17

Source:census of India(2001&2011)
ISSUES
OF THE
GHATS
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES:
 www.vivadacruises.com
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.acadmeia.edu
 www.shrikashiwishvanth.org
 www.sasnet.lu
 www.Gangapedia.iitk.ac.in
PDF:
 Hal.archives