SEMINAR -1

"Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, even older than legendand 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 , also known as Benares or Kashi , is a city on the banks of the river Gange in Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi is located 797 km southeast of New Delhi,320 km southeast of Lucknow, 121 km east ofAllahabad.

Source:census of India 2001&2011

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”

ACTIVITIES ON THE GHATS

Source://www.google.co.in

HISTORICAL TIMELINE

2nd CENTURY BC: traditional core of the city isestablished.

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

Muslim nawabs. 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. 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. 1991 AD: “Draft Master Plan 2001” was prepared.

Traditional core

ramnagar

Mughal empire

BHU

Areas located in the proximity of the river assume greater social significance.

The city’s topographyconsists of threemounds resemblinglord shiva’s trishul.These are recognizedas three sacred cores.

SPATIAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE TRADITIONAL CORE

Multiple foci within radial structure

Multiple foci within spatial structure

SPATIAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE TRADITIONAL CORE

Water bodies Radial street networks

Orthogonal street networks

Superimposition of radial and orthogonal street

networks

Princep’s drawing of Benaras in 1822

Forests and reefs Water bodies

Flood plains

PHYSICAL GROWTH OF THE CITY

19th century area of 112.26 sq. km)

2011-master plan,area of 144.89 sq. km

In the later half of the nineteenth century, the most significant change isthe -increase in the pakka mahal which rapidly encroached upon thekachcha houses.

Also all vacant spaces in the immediate neighbourhood of the Ganga werefilled in by Pakka houses.

The two ill-drained areas, formerlyoccupied by the Godaulia Nala andthe Misra Pokhra Jhil in thesouth and the Maidagin andMachhodari tank in the northdisappeared.

The site of the Maidagin tankgradually came to be replaced bythe Company garden, northof the present a center of thecity. The Machhodari tank wasdrained into the Ganga though anunderground channel.

SIGNIFICANT EVOLUTION FROM 1830-1880

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

Plan of ramnagar

Ramnagar fort

COLONIAL SETTLEMENT

The colonial settlement was located in proximity toriver varna, 4miles from the traditional core.

The british had political control over Varanasi from1775 until 1947.

The settlement comprises of cantonment, a civilstation and administrative quarters.

Each component of the colonial settlement waslocated around an independent focus and comprisedof 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 Indianmotifs.

BHU

Plan of the university

University road

Residential building in the university

CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT

The organization principles of the contemporary settlements are based onformalized zoning codes.

The buildings can be distinguished from one another on the basis offunctional 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

Location of the colonial settlement wrt the traditional core

Street networks in the colonial settlement

SPATIAL CHARACTERSTICS OF THE COLONIAL SETTLEMENT

Factors affecting location: Traditional core considered

“dangerous/unhygenic” Less investment Proximity to river

Factors resulting in deformed street pattern: Existing features Topography “ Green villages “ in london

Source:census of India(2001&2011)

Location:Longitude 83.0 Latitude:25.20

Geographical Area(2001)

1535 Sq. Km.

Population (2011) 3,682,194

(1) Male (2011) 1,928,641

(2) Female (2011) 1,753,553

(3) Rural (2001) 1878100

(4) Urban (2001) 1260570

(5) Scheduled Caste 435540

(6) Scheduled Tribes 770

(7) Sex Ratio 909

(8) Population Density 2399 per.sq.km.

Literacy 77.05 %

(1) Male 85.12 %

(2) Female 68.20 %

No. of Tehsil 3

No. of Block 8

No. of Nyay Panchayats 108

No. of Gram Panchayats 702

No. of Villages 1327

(1) Inhabitated 1289

(2) Uninhabitated 38

Town/Group of towns (2001) 4

(1) Nagar Nigam 1

(2) Nagar Palika Parishad 1

(3) Nagar Panchayat 1

(4) Cantonment Board 1

No. of Police Stations 25

(1) Rural 8

(2) Urban 17

STASTICAL DATA

ISSUES OF THE GHATS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.vivadacruises.com www.wikipedia.com www.acadmeia.edu www.shrikashiwishvanth.org www.sasnet.lu www.Gangapedia.iitk.ac.inPDF: Hal.archives

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