Ghats of Varanasi

on the Ganga in India

The Cultural Landscape Reclaimed

Department of Landscape Architecture

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
In memory of Vincent J. Bellafiore (1943-2014)

Vince was the Head of the Landscape Architecture Department from 1985 to 2000 at the University of
Illinois at Urbana Champaign. In collaboration with the U.S. National Park Service, he led the team of
faculty and students in developing the conservation plan for the Buddhist site at Sarnath, India in 1988
and 1990. Taj Mahal Cultural Heritage District Development Plan: Agra, India project that he initiated with
the Uttar Pradesh Tourism received the Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects
in 2000. Vince’s empathetic understanding of the public culture of Indian cities, his ability to relate easily
to people he met, and his appreciation of humanity he had in common with them, were very special and
unique.
Contents
ABSTRACT................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION...................................... 3
THE BODY AND LANDSCAPE.................... 5 Figure 2.4 - Cycle of festivals on the ghats
Mythic landscape............................ 6 Figure 2.5 - Sensory experience on the ghats
Enacted landscape.......................... 8 Figure 2.6 - Haptic and Kinesethetic experiences in the streets
Historic landscape........................... 14
IMAGEABLE, LEGIBLE AND
PERFORMATIVE LANDSCAPE..................... 17
Imageablity..................................... 18
Legibility.......................................... 22
Raj ghat re-design........................... 26
Signage proposal............................ 28
Narrative surfaces........................... 30
Lighting for Dashashwamedha ghat.. 31
Vending spaces............................... 32
Assi ghat re-design.......................... 34
Dashashwamedha ghat design......... 35
Manikarnika ghat re-design............. 36
Panchganga ghat re-design............. 38
Peace gardens................................ 40
Site plan - I..................................... 42
HEALTHY AND RESILIENT
LANDSCAPE............................................. 43
Hydrology and terrain...................... 44
Soil and vegitation........................... 46
Pollution and solution...................... 48
Bathing tank design......................... 50
Varuna action plan.......................... 52
Reclaiming Assi nala........................ 54
Shifting landscape on east bank....... 56
Site plan - II.................................... 59
CONCLUSION......................................... 60
PROJECT CREDITS.................................... 61
List of Illustrations
Figure 1.1 - Plan showing public spaces on the ghats
Figure 2.1 - Mythic landscape of Varanasi
Figure 2.2 - Myths of the ghats
Figure 2.3 - Pilgrim movement in the sacred landscape of Kashi
Figure 2.7 - Haptic and Kinesethetic experiences on the ghats
Figure 2.8 - Map of important historic buildings and temples on the
ghats
Figure 3.1 - Panorama: Sarveshwara ghat - Tripura Bhairavi ghat
Figure 3.2 - Panorama: Lalita ghat - Ganesha ghat
Figure 3.3 - Analysis of ghat’s skyline
Figure 3.4 - Analysis of ghat’s facade
Figure 3.5 - Analysis of color usage on ghats
Figure 3.6 - Architectural design vocabulary
Figure 3.7/A - Chet Singh Palace, 1837
Figure 3.7/B - Chet Singh Palace, 2014
Figure 3.8/A - Raja ghat, 2000
Figure 3.8/B - Raja ghat, 2014
Figure 3.9/A - Dasashwamed Ghat, 1883
Figure 3.9/B - Dasashwamed Ghat, 2014
Figure 3.10/A - Kedar ghat, 2000
Figure 3.10/B - Kedar ghat, 2014
Figure 3.11 - Visual quality of the ghats
Figure 3.12/A - Manikarnika Ghat, 1869
Figure 3.12/B - Manikarnika Ghat, 2014
Figure 3.13 - Viewshed analysis
Figure 3.14 - Architecture vocabulary of ghats
Figure 3.15 - Movement pattern along the ghats
Figure 3.16 - Maps and apps for heritage trails
Figure 3.17 - Site Analysis of Raj ghat
Figure 3.18 - Design proposal for Raj ghat
Figure 3.19 - Signage proposal for directions on the ghats
Figure 3.20 - Signage proposal for information on the ghats
Figure 3.21 - Narrative surfaces on the ghats
Figure 3.22 - Lighting proposal for Dashashwamedha ghat
Figure 3.23 - Vending typology on the ghats
Figure 3.24 - Design proposal for vending on the ghats
Figure 3.25 - Design proposal for performative landscape, Assi ghat
Figure 3.26 - Design proposal for Dashashwamedha ghat
Figure 3.27 - Site analysis of Manikarnika ghat
Figure 3.28 - Design proposal for Manikarnika ghat
Figure 3.29 - Site analysis of Panchganga ghat
Figure 3.30 - Design proposal for Panchganga ghat
Figure 3.31 - Hinduism and Islam
Figure 3.32 - Proposal for peace garden at Balaji ghat
Figure 3.33 - Site plan I
Figure 4.1 - Analysis of site hydrology
Figure 4.2 - Analysis of terrain
Figure 4.3 - Mapping of soil and vegetation
Figure 4.4 - Design proposal for seasonal parks on the ghat
Figure 4.5 - Analysis of sources of pollution in Ganga
Figure 4.6 - Design proposal for composting on the ghats
Figure 4.7 - Design typology of ghat platforms
Figure 4.8 - Design proposal for bathing tanks on the ghats
Figure 4.9 - Site analysis of ground water contamination
Figure 4.10 - Varuna rivershed reclaimation plan
Figure 4.11 - Site analysis of Assi nala
Figure 4.12 - Design proposal for reclaiming the Assi nala
Figure 4.13 - Site analysis of east bank
Figure 4.14 - Site design proposal for east bank development
Figure 4.15 - Design proposal for memorial grove on the east bank
Figure 4.16 - Site plan II
Abstract
The monograph summarizes the result of a site
workshop in Varanasi (Jan 3-10, 2014) by faculty
and students from the Departments of Landscape
Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana
Champaign (UIUC), USA, and Bhanubhen Nanavati
College of Architecture for Women (BNCA), Pune,
India. The landscape planning and design proposals
outlined in the workshop were further developed in
a semester long studio (January-May 2014) at the
UIUC campus. The goals of the project are to assess
the cultural heritage of the Varanasi ghats and to
develop a socially and environmentally sustainable
vision for their landscape conservation.

Grounded speculation from site studies on ways

in which heritage appreciation can be made part
of the visitor’s experience in a healthy and resilient
landscape guided the process of planning and de-
sign of the ghats. The entire stretch of land-water
interface was considered for developing prototypical
design solutions that are then adapted to the site
specific constraints at a particular ghat. Imageable,
legible, and performative dimensions of landscape
experience were identified as significant for heritage
conservation. The ghat landscape is made legible to
the visitors by organizing their movement to facilitate
interpretion of myths and history. The iconic charater
of the ghats is enhanced by regulating the historic
and traditional vernacular character of the built
environment. Performative landscapes are designed
for enactment of rituals, festivals, and performing
arts. The health of the ghat landscape is improved
by reducing point source pollution in the Ganga and
creating a clean land-water interface through public
sanitation programs. The landscape is made more
resilient by planning for recovery from increasing
frequency of flood events. Individual site designs and
prototypes were further integrated into comprehen-
sive site plans. Site Plan I is a blueprint for an image-
able, legible and performative landscape with her-
itage trails, visitor facilities, and spaces for festivals
and performances. Site Plan II is a blueprint for a
healthy and resilient landscape in which point source
pollution in the Ganga is reduced producing a clean
land-water interface that can recover from frequent
flooding.

1
  Adi Keshava
Ghat












Gola Ghat

Gay Ghat

Mangala Ghat
Panchganga Ghat

Rama
Bhosale

Sankata Ghat
Scindhia Ghat
Dattatreya Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat

Meer Ghat

Dashashwamegh Ghat

Kedar Ghat
Harishchandra Ghat

Assi Ghat

Figure 1.1 - Plan showing public spaces on the ghats

2
Introduction
Rarely has any river gathered in itself so much mean-
ing and reverence as the Ganga has over three
millennia in the Indian subcontinent. The land-water
interface on the Ganga’s banks is fashioned out of
the need to access the rising and falling water levels
in the monsoon and dry seasons. The cultural land-
scape of this interface—ghats (steps and landings)
lined by temples and other public buildings, pavil-
ions, kunds (tanks), streets and plazas—is layered
and kinetic, and responsive to the river’s flow. At
Varanasi, where the Ganga reverses its flow north-
wards, the ghats describe a crescent sweep in a 6.8
km stretch. They date back to 14th century although
they were extensively renovated and extended in
the last three centuries to allow access to the holy
Ganga from the temples and shrines of this ancient
city. The narrow streets of old Varanasi end at the
wide landings of the ghats, leading the residents,
pilgrims, and tourists to the river where they worship,
bathe and cremate the dead. The ghats are public
commons, ritual spaces, and cremation sites. As
such they represent an extraordinary cultural heritage
in their history and as settings for continuing enact-
ment of ancient traditions that sustain cultural mem-
ories, beliefs and values.
The cultural landscape of the ghats evolved in a
spatio-temporal order created from self-organized
systems of worship and pilgrimage. Its structure,
complex in its layering and detail and in responding
to natural processes was resilient in its recovery from
natural disasters as well as cultural upheavals. How-
ever as the landscape becomes increasingly stressed
from intensive use and ground and water pollution,
its irreplaceable heritage is being lost. The dilapi-
dation of the urban edge due to ill-maintenance,
private encroachment, pollution in the Ganga, and
increasing pressures of use caused by three million
visitors every year is stretching its carrying capacity
and putting heritage at risk. The shift of the river and
silting of banks has impacted the riverfront land-
scape causing alarm among conservationists who
have been pressing since 2001 to have the riverfront
and the old city nominated in the UNESCO World
Heritage List. Varanasi ghats fit the categories of ‘an
organically evolved landscape’ as well as ‘an asso-
ciative cultural landscape’ in the cultural landscape
criteria. The ghats on the Ganga have evolved over
centuries into the spiritual center of Hinduism. Urban
infrastructure (sanitation, solid waste management,
and water supply) has been upgraded under the
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission
(JNNURM) and measures have been taken to re-
duce the river pollution under the Ganga Action Plan
launched by the Government of India.
However the schemes already in place need to be
coordinated and on-going efforts integrated into
a landscape conservation plan for reclaiming and
restoring the ghats. This is a common and crucial
aspect of the many programs and contributes to
the broader goals of cleansing the Ganga of local
pollutants through urban interventions. Individual
categories for heritage assessment—built, intangible,
natural and cultural—are problematic when applied
to Varanasi ghats as they isolate and fragment a
unitary phenomena and fail to address the complex
and dynamic aspect of change. A more valid form
of heritage assessment would be to study the cultural
landscape that integrates natural and cultural heri-
tage and sustains intangible heritage.
The transcendental view of nature in Hinduism un-
derlies the elaborate structure of myths relating to
Ganga, the archetypal divine river and Kashi, the
supreme tirtha. The corpus of beliefs about cosmog-
ony, cycle of life and death, purity and pollution,
sacred and profane, are tied to reverence for nature
and enacted in numerous life cycle and death rituals.
The ghat landscape has evolved to support the ritual
enactments and is mnemonic of mythic narratives in
its built form. Thus the tangible and intangible forms
of heritage are inextricably bound. Degradation of
the ghat landscape, i.e. deterioration of material/
tangible heritage implies loss of cultural memory.
Both natural and cultural heritage are at stake as the
pollution in Ganga increases.
The ghats are a thin sliver of public space between
the dense city and the Ganga. There are 84 ghats
on the urban edge. Their number has increased over
time as ghats were subdivided into smaller sections
and the natural embakment was stepped and faced
in stone. The ghats were experienced first hand and
visually documented in site visits by the teams. The
landscape features and qualities were interpreted
through site readings and mappings. The ghat land-
scape consisting of 300 meters wide swathe of the
land-water interface, was mapped using Google
Earth, Varanasi city map, Wikimapia, and photo-
graphs. This is recommended as the protected heri-
tage zone. The heritage zone should be developed
and managed within an eco-cultural frame work that
addresses environmental pollution and urban degra-
dation. Conservation becomes a tool for reclaiming
public spaces and improving the quality of public
life. The overarching goal of the project is to pre-
serve cultural values by conserving the urban fabric
that is a catalyst as well as a setting for their enact-
ments.
3
4
THE BODY AND LANDSCAPE
Intangible and tangible cultural heritage encompassed
by the cultural landscape of the ghats is interpreted in its
mythic, enacted, and historic dimensions. The three fac-
ets are mutually constitutive—the landscape is read as
a tapestry of mythic narratives and is at the same time a
setting for their continuing enactments by the devotees
thus keeping ancient traditions alive and vigorous. The
land-water interface has been culturally significant for over
two millennia. While the chronology of its evolution into
the contemporary landscape has many gaps, the docu-
mented history of the last three centuries holds a clue to
understanding the ways in which its built environment was
shaped in response to cultural beliefs.

The idea of the body and landscape underlies the mythic,

enacted, and historic dimensions. The landscape is a sym-
bol of the primeval being purusha and the great gods of
Hinduism--Shiva and Vishnu. The icons and deities in the
many temples and shrines on the ghats attest to their living
presence on earth. Their actions in mythic time are cele-
brated through ritual enactments in festivals creating the
spatial-temporal order in the landscape. The landscape
is always in flux, its temporality a function of the Ganga’s
seasonal flow and calendar of rituals and festivals deter-
mined by planetary motion. The ghats on the west bank
of the Ganga are the altar to worship of the sun rising in
the east every morning bringing light and life, an end to
actual and metaphoric darkness. The phenomenal form
of the Goddess Ganga is worshipped through an immer-
sive engagement with the river.

The body in action enacts the image of the archetypal

body in the narrative landscape. The body of the pilgrim
and the tourist is fully immersed in the cultural landscape
of the ghats. Being there is a rich, stimulating experience,
a total engagement of the proximate senses. In ritual bath-
ing, chanting, and offerings, the acoustic, olfactory, and
tactile sensations induce an awareness of the transcendent
holy in the here and now. The sense of enclosure, dark-
ness, and heaviness in the narrow lanes of the old city
contrasts with openness and expansiveness of the ghats.
Panoramic views of the eighty four ghats as seen from the
river and the east bank contrast with focused vistas on the
west bank. View sheds show the skyline of temple spires,
rhythm of steps, openings, and riverside platforms, mak-
ing apparent the implicit visual order. Site readings in
collages represent the mythic and enacted landscapes. In
myths relating to cosmic creation and dissolution, actions
of gods and goddesses, descent of the river, the body is
central to the visual imagery. The phenomenological ex-
perience of the body in the landscape is explored through
mapping vision; kinesthetic experience of movement and
haptic experience of spatial volume; and acoustic, tactile,
olfactory experiences. The historic landscape is docu-
mented in mapping the street network, buildings, temples,
and their design vocabularies.

5
 Figure 2.1 - Mythic landscape of Varanasi
Myths explain the sacred geography of Varanasi and
the embodied practices that give it meaning and value
in ways history cannot. Myths occur in absolute space
and eternal time. Their enactments impart a powerful
and timeless quality to the landscape. Varanasi traces
its origin to Anandvana, the forest of bliss where Lord
Shiva sits in a yogic posture with his eyes closed listen-
ing intently to his wife Parvati playing the veena. He
creates the cosmos contained in Kashi with his yogic
power and her music. He strikes his trident to hold
the city and place it beyond the ravages of time. He
catches the sacred Ganga in his locks as she pours
down from heaven as a result of sage Bhagirath’s pen-
ance to revive the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara.
She purifies and sanctifies, washing away physical dirt
and moral sins. In her phenomenal form, the Ganga
invites rich visual, tactile, and haptic experiences in
everyday, humdrum activities and performances that
carry profound meanings. The tradition of ritual bath-
ing at festivals, in the course of pilgrimage and in life
cycle events, has continued through the centuries and
carries great significance.
6
Immersion by as many as 70 million people in the
Ganga on auspicious days is a grand spectacle, re-
sulting from self-organized activities on a very large
scale. The river and its banks are settings of perfor-
mative rituals, spontaneous and choreographed. They
are mimetic of archetypal acts, enacting mythic and
ancestral memories, and contribute to a living heri-
tage. Shiva and Parvati came down from the Hima-
layas and made Varanasi their home. Shiva presides
over the mahashamshan, the great cremation ground
on the banks of the Ganga, where he whispers the
tarak mantra into the ears of the dying bringing them
moksha. In temples Shiva is worshipped in the form of
a linga, the most famous one in Varanasi and its cen-
ter, being jyotirlinga in Vishwanath temple, the cosmic
pillar of light that connects the city with heavenly and
netherworlds. There are hundreds of lingas in the city,
however Omkareshvara, Vishveshvara, and Kedaresh-
vara lingas in temples on the three hills supported by
Shiva’s trident are greatly revered.
Figure 2.2 - Myths of the ghats
The west bank is visualized as the spine of the pri-
mordial purusha. The Ganga is conceived as the
kundalini power rising through the lotus chakras in
his spine and Assi and Varana Rivers are nadi chan-
nels intermingling with liquid shakti of Ganga. The
highest of the six chakras where enlightenment oc-
curs is equated with Varanasi. Although Shiva is the
reigning deity of the city, Vishnu and Brahma have
a presence too. At the beginning of time, Brahma’s
austerities resulted in a brilliant shaft of light erupting
from the earth and piercing the skies and the numi-
nous sound OM signaling the creation of the world.
Dashashwamedh Ghat is named after the sacrifice of
ten horses performed by Brahma in mythic time and
by the Bhara Shiva Naga kings in second century
CE. The strife between Shiva and Brahma resulted in
Bhairava (manifestation of Shiva) cutting of Brahma’s
fifth head. However the skull adhered to Bhairava’s
hand until he came to Varanasi and bathed at
Kapalmochan kund to atone his sin. Both, Brahma
and Vishnu acknowledge Shiva’s supremacy when
they could not fathom the beginning and end of his
fiery linga. Brahma flew top to the heavens on his
goose and Vishnu dived into the waters of the under-
world as a boar, but to no avail. Vishnu dug a lotus
pond and performed austerities there for thousands
of years. Shiva and Parvati appeared and gave him
a boon for living forever in Kashi. When they were
bathing, Shiva’s crest jewel (mani) and Parvati’s
earring (karnika) fell in the pond giving it the name
Manikarnika. Close by is the ghat where the dying
come to be cremated on the banks of the Ganga
and have their ashes immersed in the river that flows
through the three worlds. The Ganga is the mother
and also a young maiden, consort of Shiva, and
the crocodile is her vehicle. Ganga and Shiva, as
Shiva Shakti represent the masculine and feminine
archetypes. In Varanasi the threads of the myths are
woven into a complex tapestry. Myth and reality blur
into each other and the modern world is yet another
possibility out of many simultaneous multiple exis-
tences.
7
 Figure 2.3 - Pilgrim movement in the sacred landscape of Kashi
The meaning of Kashi as a sacred landscape rests
on its image in Puranic texts as a mandala, a cos-
mogram or symbol of universe, charged with pos-
itive energies. Its landscape and built environment
have evolved as a medium for visualization of the
divine. Kashi mandala is equated with the luminosity
of Shiva’s fiery linga. On the banks of the holy river
Ganga, it is the domicile of Lord Shiva who is known
as Avimukteshvar, one who never forsakes the city.
This is the center where all journeys begin and end.
It is the point of origin and of continual renewal
though the body’s engagement with the landscape
in the circumambulatory journeys known as yatras.
In obtaining darshan in shrines and temples, bathing
in the kunds, walking, performing rituals, chanting,
among other activities, the sense of auspicious is
enhanced. The holiness of the landscape lies in
presenting wholeness through representation of the
cosmos. Five circumambulatory circuits—Kashi,
Varanasi, Avimukta, Antargriha, and Vishvanath—
are traced in pilgrim yatras. They all begin and end
with a bath at Manikarnika Ghat.
8
Kashi mandala articulated in panchkroshi yatra is
the largest, going beyond the city limits, while the
Antargrihayatra is circumambulating only around
the Vishvanath Temple complex. While the Kashi and
Varanasi Yatras are loops, Avimukta circuit is a spiral
reaching the center, Vishvanath Temple. The three-di-
mensional built version of Panchkroshi Yatra is the
Panchkroshi Mandir built in the 1870s. In circum-
ambulating the temple, the devotee sees numerous
shrines and deities in niches in the outer wall includ-
ing 104 visited during the yatra. Varanasi’s auspi-
ciousness is multiplied with the residence of other
tirthas of the Indian subcontinent in its territory. Char
Dham, four corners of India, Jyotirlingas, the twelve
lingas of light distributed throughout India, and
Saptapuri, seven sacred cities, are all represented in
Varanasi. The spatial transposition of sites in India’s
sacred geography to Varanasi creates a complex and
metonymic cultural landscape where the whole is sig-
nified in its constituent parts. Pilgrim journeys to these
destinations, many of them beginning at the ghats,
are through a confusing maze of narrow streets that
are mapped out for ease of travel.
Figure 2.4 - Cycle of festivals on the ghats
Festivals are celebrated throughout the year on the
ghats of Varanasi. They are tied to the seasons, to
key moments in the solar and lunar calendar cel-
ebrating the passage of sun and the waxing and
waning moon, and to the harvest cycle. The myths
of Hinduism are enacted in the here and now, re-
joicing in the births, marriages, and victories of gods
and goddesses over demons. Cosmic time of the
four yugas (epochs when the universe is destroyed
and created anew) in an endless cycle is related to
seasonal time in the circle, symbol of eternal time
and absolute space. Myths are thus kept alive in the
collective memory through traditions that are re-in-
vented in keeping with the changing socio-economic
times. The festive atmosphere is an uplifting experi-
ence for participants and spectators alike. The land
water interface is celebrated in a spectacular way
during the festival of Ganga Mahotsav, revering the
goddess Ganga in the Hindu month of Kartik (Oc-
tober-November) when the stretch from Panchganga
to Rajghat is lit up with earthen oil lamps. In the
recently revived festival of Budhava Mangal, a week
after the Holi festival in Phagun (March) musicians
perform on the river in decorated barges, and the
ghats become a vast amphitheater. On Mahashi-
varatri celebrating the marriage of Shiva and Parvati,
every temple with a linga is decorated for worship
and the streets are filled with marriage processions.
The famous Ramalila of Banaras enacts the epic
myth of the hero god Ram, his birth, marriage, ex-
ile and victory over the demon Ravan in Ashvin
(October) at various sites on the Ganga riverbank.
Dusshera and Diwali mark the end of Ramlila co-
inciding with Navratri, the nine-day festival cele-
brating the goddess Durga’s slaying of the demon
Mahishasur. Makar Sankranti, Holi, and Vasant
Panchami are festivals dedicated to the changing
season and to the harvest. The festivals of Janmash-
tmi, Hanuman Jayanti, and Ganesh Chautha cel-
ebrate the births of gods Krishna, Hanuman, and
Ganesh respectively at various temples dedicated to
the deities. Nagpanchami, festival of serpent worship
and Lolarka Chath when Lolarka, the ‘trembling sun’
is worshipped, occur at ancient sacred water bodies,
Nag Kuan and Lolarka Kund, close to the ghats.
9
 Figure 2.5 - Sensory experience on the ghats

The sensual experiences on Assi Ghat, Harish Chan-

dra Ghat, Dashashwamedha Ghat, Manikarnika
Ghat, and Panchganga Ghat are depicted in three
layers showing the acoustic, olfactory, and tactile
experience. Places with multiple sensual experiences
are ‘hotspots’ that give visitors the strongest impres-
sions of acoustic, olfactory, or tactile sensations. The
size of hotspots stands for the extent of the stimula-
tion, meaning the larger the hotspot is, the stronger
the impression of the activity. Certain activities, such
as aarti and cremation, have more than one kind
of sensual stimulation and are therefore connected
in this three-layer diagram. The collages capture
each kind of sensual experience-- aarti and puja are
stronger in acoustic stimulation while flowers, burn-
ing incense, and smoke have the strongest impres-
sion of olfactory sensation. Bathing in the Ganga,
eating food, the presence of fire and water, and the
breeze felt in flying kites are rich tactile stimulations.

10
11
 Figure 2.6 - Haptic and Kinesthetic experiences in the streets

The Kinesthetic experience in moving from the main

road to Dashashwamedh Ghat and Panchganga
Ghat is depicted in a series of spatial sequences.
The haptic experience in the narrow alley is that of
darkness and enclosure. Details such as texture of
the wall, goods on the stalls, shrines along the road,
clothes hanging near windows and many others can
be viscerally felt. The movement from the building
interior to the ghats entails the transition from feel-
ings of enclosure to expansivenes as the river comes
into view.

12
Figure 2.7 - Haptic and Kinesthetic experiences on the ghats

The architectonic structure of the city and its spatial

volumes create haptic and kinesthetic experiences.
Movement on and along the ghats is through a
labyrinth of walls, people, and livestock. Stairs spi-
rals their way down a single cramped shrine located
below the streets. Tanks are constructed so they are
also below the street. Most alleys appear as a left-
over space between the buildings and give a strong
sense of enclosure. An automobile cannot enter
alleys close to the ghats. If the street is wide enough
for motorcycles, livestock, and pedestrians, all three
will probably inhabit it. The maze comes to its end
at the Ganga River. The vast river starkly contrasts
with the cramped streets and crowded ghats. Upon
reaching the water’s edge, the sense of relief erases
the memory of confusion and claustrophobia that the
streets had left. The river is the destination for many
Varanasi dwellers in daily life and also in death.

13
 H1. Ganga Mahal H10. Vijayanagram Ghat

H2. Building beside Ganga H11. Raja Ghat

Mahal

H19. Jalasayi Ghat H28. Hanuman Gadi T7. Jain Mandir T17. Temple at Someshwar T26. Bhutnath Temple
Ghat Ghat
Ghat H28. Hanuman Gadi T7. Jain Mandir T17. Temple at Someshwar T26. Bhutnath Temple
Ghat Ghat

H3. Tulsi Ghat H12. Digpatiya

H20. Manikarnika Ghat H29. Gai Ghat T8. Temple at Nishad Ghat T18. Temples at Raja Ghat T27. Krsna and
Manikarnikavinayaka
ika Ghat H29. Gai Ghat T8. Temple at Nishad Ghat T18. Temples at Raja Ghat T27. Krsna and Temple
Manikarnikavinayaka
Temple

H4. Janaki Ghat H13. Rana Mahal

H21. Ganga Mahal Ghat H30. Trilochan Ghat T9. Temple at Panchkota T19. Temple at Digpatiya T28. Tarakeshwara Temple
Ghat Ghat
Mahal Ghat H30. Trilochan Ghat T9. Temple at Panchkota T19. Temple at Digpatiya T28. Tarakeshwara Temple
Ghat Ghat

H5. Chetsingh Palace H14. Darbhanga Ghat

H31. Nandeshwar Ghat T10. Temples in Chetsingh T20. Temple at Munshi Ghat T29. Ratneshwar Temple
H22. Bhonsale Palace
Fort
H31. Nandeshwar Ghat T10. Temples in Chetsingh T20. Temple at Munshi Ghat T29. Ratneshwar Temple
Palace
Fort

H6. Maharaja Chetsingh H15. Manmandir

Fort Observatory

H23. Ganesh Ghat H32. Teliyanala Ghat T11. Temples at Niranjan T21. Temples at Ahaliyabai T30. Durga Temple
Ghat Ghat
Ghat H32. Teliyanala Ghat T11. Temples at Niranjan T21. Temples at Ahaliyabai T30. Durga Temple
Ghat Ghat

H7. Akhada at Niranjan H16. Domraja Palace

Ghat

H24. Rama Ghat H33. Excavations at Raja T12. Temple at Shivala T22. Temple at T31. Temples at Panchganga
Ghat Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat Ghat
hat H33. Excavations at Raja T12. Temple at Shivala T22. Temple at T31. Temples at Panchganga
Ghat Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat Ghat

H8. Mandakini Ghat H17. Nepali Ghat

H25. Balaji Ghat T2. Jagannath Temple T13. Hanuman Temple - T23. Temples at T35. Ravidas Temple
Hanuman Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat
at Historic
T2. Jagannath Buildings - H 1 - H 33
Temple T13. Hanuman Temple - T23. Temples at T35. Ravidas Temple
Hanuman Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat
Temples - T 1 - T 37

H9. Karnatak State Ghat H18. Lalita Ghat

Figure 2.8 - Map of important historic buildings and temples on the ghats.

14
H19. Jalasayi Ghat H28. Hanuman Gadi T7. Jain Mandir T17. Temple at Someshwar T26. Bhutnath Temple
Ghat Ghat

H20. Manikarnika Ghat H29. Gai Ghat T8. Temple at Nishad Ghat T18. Temples at Raja Ghat T27. Krsna and
Manikarnikavinayaka
Temple

H21. Ganga Mahal Ghat H30. Trilochan Ghat T9. Temple at Panchkota T19. Temple at Digpatiya T28. Tarakeshwara Temple
Ghat Ghat

H31. Nandeshwar Ghat T10. Temples in Chetsingh T20. Temple at Munshi Ghat T29. Ratneshwar Temple
H22. Bhonsale Palace
Fort

H23. Ganesh Ghat H32. Teliyanala Ghat T11. Temples at Niranjan T21. Temples at Ahaliyabai T30. Durga Temple
Ghat Ghat

H24. Rama Ghat H33. Excavations at Raja T12. Temple at Shivala T22. Temple at T31. Temples at Panchganga
Ghat Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat Ghat

H25. Balaji Ghat T2. Jagannath Temple T13. Hanuman Temple - T23. Temples at T35. Ravidas Temple
Hanuman Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat

H26. Panchganga Ghat T5. Anandmai Mandir T15. Temples at T24. Shiva Temples at T36. Adi keshava Temple
Harishchandra Ghat Dasashwamedha Ghat

T6. Vachharaja Ghat T16. Kedareshwar T25. Samrajeshwara T37. Vishwanath Temple
H27. Lal Ghat
Temple Temple

15
 Historic landscape
The historic character of the ghats is most evident in
riverside palaces and temples built in the last three
hundred years. Royalty and nobility from different
parts of Indian subcontinent built palaces for ex-
tended stay by elderly family members who wished to
spend their last days in the holy city of Varanasi. The
earliest surviving palaces are those built by the rulers
of Rajasthan. Man Mandir was built by Raja Man
Singh of Amber in 1586 CE and its rooftop houses
an astronomical observatory built by another Amber
king Sawai Jai Singh in 1710. At Rana Mahal Ghat,
is another historic palace built in 1670 by Rana
Jagat Singh of Udaipur. Eighteenth century palaces
by the Maratha rulers include those built by Peshwa
Baji Rao I and Raghoba Balaji in 1735, by Raghuji
Bhonsale in 1795, and Indore State Palace by the
Holkar queen Ahilyabai in 1778-85. Nineteenth
century palaces include those built in 1830 by the
Raja Dipatiya of Champaran, by Jiyajirao Sindhia,
ruler of Gwalior in 1864, by the Vijayanagar ruler on
Kedar Ghat in 1890, and by Rana Shamsherbaha-
dur of Nepal at Gaya Ghat. Ministers of the Mara-
tha kingdoms of Nagpur and Gwalior built palaces
on Darbhanga and Jatar Ghats. The local rulers of
Banaras also built on the Ganga—Chet Singh built
a small fortress in the mid-eighteenth century and
Prabhunarayan Singh constructed Ganga Mahal on
Assi Ghat in 1830. Palaces continued to be built
until the beginning of twentieth century—they include
one on Assi Ghat by the queen Radhakunwar of
Sursund and by the industrialist Baldev Prasad Birla
on Tulsi Ghat. Many of the palaces are no longer in
active use and can be adaptively re-used as public
facilities. Together with temple spires, they contrib-
ute to the iconic view of the Varanasi ghats popular
worldwide.
16
The Hindu temples commemorate acts of cosmog-
ony, sacrifices, and austerities of gods and god-
desses. Often associated with a holy water body or
local divinities, they celebrate the numinous power
of the site. Monumental temples were in existence
before the arrival of Islam in India in eleventh cen-
tury—their repeated destruction resulted in the oldest
surviving Hindu temples on the ghats to date only
from the eighteenth century. The temples are a sig-
nificant part of the historic built fabric of the ghats.
Their preservation program has to take into account
that they are living sites of worship and as such they
are renovated and repaired as needed and as per
resources of the temple trusts responsible for their
maintenance.
A number of temples are built in the panchyatana
style with the central shrine surrounded by four
smaller shrines at four corners of a square. The shik-
hara tower surmounts each shrine—the one over the
central shrine dominates over others. The shikhara
tower curves toward the amalaka and kalasha finial
and has half-shikharas in relief superimposed over
it resulting in a clustered effect. Examples include
Shiva Durga Temple on Manikarnika Ghat built in
1850 and Lakshminarayan Temple near Assi Ghat
built in 1902. Domed or pyramidal vaulted roofs
over the mandapa in front of the sanctuary with the
shikhara tower are also common as in Vishvanath
Temple built in 1777 and Tarakeshvara Temple on
Manikarnika Ghat built in 1792. Other regional
styles are represented as in the Samrajeshvara
Temple on Lalita Ghat with carved wooden panels
and sloping roofs sheathed in copper built in the
Nepalese style in 1843.
IMAGEABLE, LEGIBLE AND
PERFORMATIVE LANDSCAPE

Myths are re-enacted and homage to gods and god-

desses offered on a daily and episodic basis, invigo-
rating memory and renewing values, in the process
generating fluid space. The Ganga and its ghats
become sites of spectacle and performance in a tem-
poral rhythm derived from the rising and setting sun
and the changing flow of the Ganga in the dry and
monsoon seasons. Death and its rituals on cremation
ghats offer a macabre spectacle to the voyeurs. The
ghats are the iconic image of Varanasi and of Hindu
India. They are highly imageable in that they can be
viewed in their entirety from the Ganga. The distant
and near views generate a strong mental image in
the observer. The ghat panoramas have been popu-
lar since the eighteenth century and have influenced
a ‘way of seeing’ the cultural landscape. Their strong
image, evoked from a consistent design vocabulary
used in the past, is threatened by incompatible build-
ing structures, visual clutter of signs and billboards,
and dilapidation. Design regulations of building fa-
cades and materials are prescribed to preserve their
aesthetic character.

Although the ghats are richly imageable, they are not

legible in that they are confusing and disorienting,
especially to the first time visitor. Legibility is defined
as the attribute of the landscape that allows for com-
prehension of its structure, i.e. easy recognition of its
parts and their organization into a coherent pattern.
The ghats are envisaged as a legible and interpretive
landscape by developing the following visitor facil-
ities: way finding map to the ghats, heritage trails,
informational and directional signage, ghat lighting,
boat parking, and vending kiosks. Consolidating the
dispersed vending and combining it with provision of
essential goods will reduce the congestion and visu-
al clutter of the ghats. The proposed heritage trails
with directional and informational signage aid in
way finding and understanding their spatial structure.
Poorly lit areas lanes in the old city and stretches of
ghats are illuminated to increase safety and encour-
age movement along the river. Visual aids such as
maps, logos, and narrative walls depicting myths
and legends, interpret the history and mythology of
the ghats, reinforcing their role as sites of cultural
memory. At Manikarnika Ghat, the proposed spatial
organization and screening promise privacy and dig-
nity to the bereaving. Amphibian space is created at
the ghats’ edge through the proposed floating docks
thus augmenting performative spaces. Peace gar-
dens are designed to offer the possibility of diffusing
communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims.

17
 Figure 3.1 - Panorama: Sarveshwara ghat - Tripura Bhairavi ghat (2005-2013)
Source: Michael Aschauer

Figure 3.2 - Panorama: Lalita ghat - Ganesha ghat (2005-2013)

Source: Michael Aschauer

Figure 3.3 - Analysis of ghat’s skyline

Figure 3.4 - Analysis of ghat’s facade

Figure 3.5 - Analysis of color usage on ghats

18
19
 Figure 3.6 - Architectural design vocabulary

Figure 3.7/A - Chet Singh Palace, 1837 Figure 3.9/A - Dasashwamed Ghat, 1883
Artist - unknown Photographer - Prasad Babu Jageswar
Courtesy - British Library Courtesy - British Library

Figure 3.7/B - Chet Singh Palace, 2014 Figure 3.9/B - Dasashwamed Ghat, 2014

Figure 3.8/A - Raja ghat, 2000 Figure 3.10/A - Kedar ghat, 2000
Photogapher - Stanislaw Klimek Photogapher - Stanislaw Klimek
Source: Gutschow, 2006 Source: Gutschow, 2006

Figure 3.8/B - Raja ghat, 2014 Figure 3.10/B - Kedar ghat, 2014

20
Figure 3.11 - Visual quality of the ghats
Figure 3.12/A - Manikarnika Ghat, 1869
Photographer - unknown
Source - http://www.oldindianphotos.in
Encountering Varanasi ghats is a sublime experience
of the Ganga in all seasons and in many moods.
The landscape is an assault on the senses and holds
the possibility of a visionary experience. James Prin-
sep engravings of the Varanasi ghats in the 1830s
depict a picturesque view of the landscape that ro-
manticizes decay through passage of time. These
images influenced subsequent representations of the
ghat skyline that is inextricably linked to the identity
of the city. The visual culture of ghats is rich with a
variety of architectural forms and religious iconogra-
phy. Color, textures, spires, fenestration, steps, plat-
forms, vegetation, boats, among other elements, are
repeated at irregular intervals and form the unifying
element in a very complex visual structure. The icon-
ic image of the ghats is threatened with visual clutter
from encroachments and billboards resulting in loss
of aesthetic value, most evident at Dashashwamedh
Ghat. New buildings visually incompatible with his-
toric structures cause visual dissonance as seen at
Kedar Ghat.
Figure 3.12/B - Manikarnika Ghat, 2014
The historic fabric is deteriorating and endangered
as evident at Raja Ghat and Chet Singh Ghat. Some
of it is already extinct. These historic buildings are
in varying degrees of disrepair, the ramification of
which is a disappearing history. Making legible the
past has the effect of exponentially enriching the
visitor experience. This is an important rationale for
preservation. Varanasi ghats are in need of a com-
prehensive set of design guidelines for visual man-
agement. Historic buildings must be preserved in
accordance with the historic design palette of temple
spires, burjes, chattris, arched doorways and win-
dows, and jharokhas. The height of new buildings
must not exceed that of the tallest building—Alamgir
Mosque on Panchganga Ghat. Rich vibrant colors
are part of ghat identity. However an excess of color
adds to the visual clutter. A color palette in harmony
with the prevailing colors should be prescribed for
painting the public buildings and ghat steps.
21
 






















Figure 3.13 - Viewshed analysis

Panoramic views of the ghats are obtained along

the length of the Ganga Riverfront and the river
itself is a magnificent view. It is difficult for visitors to
see the entire stretch of the river from the ghats as
they are stages for ritual activities and crowded with
buildings. Sights from the Ganga are mapped with
the boats as a moving viewshed and from specific
locations at higher points above the ghats. Build-
ing structures on the ghats become viewing points
for observers. Finding spaces to frame the view will
enable visitors to appreciate the magnificence of this
holy landscape. Boat travel is the best way for visitors
to understand the entire ghat landscape. The east
bank of the Ganga with panoramic views of the river
and the ghats contrasts with the liveliness of the built-
up west bank.

22
 Reading from the River:
Dening an Architectural Vocabulary for the Ghats of Varanasi
Oranate Examples:
1|A
Assi Ghat 3| Reewa Ghat 34|Digpatiia Ghat 37-38|Rana Mahal & Munshii Gh
hats 44|Man Mandir Ghat

Vernacular Examples:
7-8|Mata Anandami & Vaccharaja Ghats 19-20|H
Hanuman & Prachina Ghats 33|Sarvesvara Ghat 62|Ram Ghat 67|Pancaagang
anga Ghat

-   
    
Beni Singh Booksellar, 1911

80m 80m

FLOOD LEVEL ELEVATIONS

75m
ELEVATION

73.9m

71.25m
70m

65m 65m

GHATS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

80m

FLOOD LEVEL ELEVATIONS

75m
ELEVATION

73.9m

71.25m
70m

65m
65m

GHATS 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84

Stairs
Legend:

Walls Tree Vegetation

Spires Octagonal Platforms

Figure 3.14 - Architecture vocabulary of ghats

When experiencing the ghats on foot, the proximate These are aligned with square, rectangular, octag-
senses are fully engaged but the interpretation of onal, and circular platforms built over well founda-
visual elements is hindered. The visitor on a boat on tions that divide the steps into bays and protect them
the Ganga, away from the hustle and bustle of the from erosion. The platforms are occasionally hol-
city, has the opportunity to see the panoramic skyline lowed out into cubicles that house shrines. Smaller
of the ghats. The skyline holds significant architec- structures are also built opening into the river--these
tural value with its temple spires, fort like palaces are private spaces for bathing and meditation. The
with bastions, protruding balconies, platforms, and upper floors of mansions are porous with windows,
cubicles just above water. The layering of structures balconies, and galleries for views of the riverfront.
adds depth and serial repletion of forms provides The steps set up an interesting rhythm especially as
the unifying thread in the architectural diversity of they cascade down from streets and buildings locat-
the ghats. To identify repeating forms, walls, stairs, ed at higher levels. The riverfront becomes greener
vegetation, platforms and prominent spires on each towards the north with unbuilt embankments and
the 84 ghats were systematically represented in a greater tree cover.
graph format. The frequency with which each of the
elements occur on the ghats is mapped. Although
the elements are not spaced at regular intervals, their
erratic repetition sets up a syncopated rhythm. The
ghat architecture responds to the changing water
levels of the Ganga. The lower floors of palaces are
opaque and built solid with octagonal or circular
towers to resist the thrust of the rising waters.

23
 

 

  

 
 P

  

  

1


P
400m
  











 
P
2



P 3









2


 


   

 3


P
P 1 20min




 
4
P




4
P

Figure 3.15 - Movement pattern along the ghats

24
Figure 3.16 - Maps and apps for heritage trails
Movement is studied at three levels: from urban
transportation hubs to the ghats, from adjoining
neighborhoods to the ghats, and between the ghats
themselves. Streets follow topography—those per-
pendicular to the riverbank connect parallel streets
to the ghats and drain stormwater into the Ganga.
The street network shows a dendritic pattern with
the major thoroughfares broad and straight, while
the pedestrian lanes of the old city are narrow and
winding. They are crammed with people, animals
and vehicles, dark and unlit. Views and space for
movement open up in the ghats, but the ghats too
become crowded on festive occasions and have their
own circulation problems with the boats, as there
are few docking points. Walking along the ghats
takes about 4-5 hours. The five destination ghats for
tourists and pilgrims include Assi, Dashashwamedh,
Manikarnika, Panchganga, and Adi Keshav. It takes
10-15 minutes to drive from one to another, de-
pending on traffic, or 20 minute by boat. At peak
times in the evening, vehicular movement can be
even slower than walking. The ghats are about 15-
40 minutes to the train station and airport, by cars
and auto-rickshaws. There are bridges that cross the
Ganga, but with narrow shoulders.
The way finding map of Varanasi Ghats is designed
for aiding tourists when they are walking to and
along the ghats. It shows the traffic routes from the
airports and railway station to the ghats and its at-
tractions. It also shows the street network, walking
and boat trails, and significant sites. Heritage trails
proposed on six ghats: Assi Ghat, Kedar Ghat, Da-
shashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Panchgan-
ga Ghat, and Adi Keshava Ghat and the historic
buildings and temples are marked on the detailed
maps. Each ghat has its own small loop of heritage
trail that connects its historic buildings and temples.
Trail-heads are at entry streets from the city and boat
docking points. The wayfinding map can be made
available as an app for smart phone. Visitors can
scan the QR code on the way finding map brochure
and download the App. It has the map of Varanasi
Ghats, local weather, facilities nearby, myths and
legends associated with each ghat, as well as historic
and sacred sites.
25
 









 


Figure 3.17 - Site Analysis of Raj ghat
The Rajghat Trail connects the 83rd and 84th, ghats
on the Rajghat Plateau at the confluence of the Gan-
ga and Varana. The sites are of immense archae-
ological and religious significance offering lessons
in both history and myth. On Rajghat Plateau and
further upstream along the Varana were the ear-
liest settlements in the region dating back to 11th
BCE. Excavations in 1940s and 1990s revealed the
growth of rural hamlets at Akatha and Sarai Moha-
na into an urban center by fourth century BCE in the
Mauryan period.
The historic city flourished under different dynasties,
its uninterrupted exitence coming to an abrupt end
with Islamic invasion. The site has the remains of
fort of the Hindu Gahadvala ruler, Jaichandra who
was defeated by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1194-95 CE.
The Gahadvala rulers worshipped at the Adikeshava
Temple at the confluence of the Ganga and Varana
using its ghat for bathing in the Ganga.
26







 


0M 40M 120M 240M

 
Their fort was never rebuilt and the city moved south-
wards but the sacred significance of the site located
on the Panchkroshi pilgrimage circuit did not di-
minish. Adikeshava Temple was rebuilt at the end of
eighteenth century and other smaller shrines contain-
ing linga such as Sangameshvara (god of river con-
fluence) commemorate the presence of gods.
The archaeological and sacred sites representing
history and myth respectively are juxtaposed in space
but their lack of physical connection precludes their
reading as an integrated narrative and a historic
timeline by the visitor. Ferryboats for trade used this
part of the riverbank until 1887 when the bridge
across the Ganga was built. Today Raj Ghat is
accessed from the city through a major street and
has new shrines including one to the medieval saint
Ravidas above stone steps built in the 1980s. On
its north a major storm water outlet from the city
empties into the river and a squatter community lives
close by.
 








0M 20M 60M 120M



 











Figure 3.18 - Design proposal for Raj ghat

To make the sites more accessible jetties are pro-

posed at Raj Ghat and Adikeshava Ghat for visitors
who choose to visit the sites in boats. A cultural heri-
tage trail with interpretive signage is designed linking
Adikeshava Temple with the proposed Archaeolog-
ical Park around the ancient ruins of Varanasi. The
areas along the trail open up to expansive views of
the Ganga. The heavily eroded river embankment
is redesigned as green terraced ghat to stabilize the
soil and encourage vegetable and flower gardens.

27
 Figure 3.19 - Signage proposal for directions on the ghats

The proposed signage system will increase land-
scape legibility by identifying ghats clearly and aiding
orientation. Two kinds of signs are proposed: in-
formational and directional. Informational signage
covers public service, caution and educational.
Tourist center, emergency aid, drinking water, hotel,
restaurant and restroom, among others will be dis-
played as public service signage. Examples of cau-
tion signage are no smoking and no littering. Edu-
cational signage covers historic buildings, temples,
sacred sites, myths and legends and ritual ceremo-
nies such as aarti. Directional signage will be placed
on walls of the buildings and streets to show the way
from the city to the ghats and the Ganga. In addition
signage will illustrate the location of the ghat and its
name as well as boating areas.
According to one legend the five most sacred ghats
represent different body parts of Lord Vishnu: Assi is
the head; Dashashwamedha is the chest; Manikarni-
ka is the navel; Panchganga is the thighs; and Adike-
sava is the feet. The five elements of all gross matter
are sky, ether, fire, water and earth. Thus the five
most sacred ghats can be identified in the following
way: Assi as the sky, Dasashwamedha as ether, Man-
ikarnika as fire, Panchganga as water, and Adikesha-
va as earth.

28
Figure 3.20 - Signage proposal for information on the ghats

29
 Figure 3.21 - Narrative surfaces on the ghats

The urban landscape of Varanasi is replete with vi-

brant folk art created by local artists. It can be found
on building facades, street walls, water tower, steps,
and on the boats. There are different types of art
including paintings of gods and goddesses, murals,
and sculptures. The themes, style, and color palette
for narrative art depicting myths and legends that
give identity to the ghats are modeled on urban folk
art. Rest platforms, lights, and planters are proposed
as narrative surfaces for local arts on Assi Ghat, Da-
sashwamedh Ghat, Panchganga Ghat, Manikarnika
Ghat and Adikeshav Ghat.

30
 



From overly bright Ghats to

mysterious dark corridors of
the city, the lighting system
in Varanasi is very sporadic.
The new lighting system
works to evenly spread light
along the Ghats, creating a
safer space that is easily
accessible.

Path Lighting

Signage Lighting




Corridor Lighting Step Lighting

Emergency Lighting Historic Lighting

Figure 3.22 - Lighting proposal for Dashashwamedha ghat

Lighting of the ghats is uneven as there are hotspots

that are brightly lit in an otherwise poorly lit river-
front. Certain ghats are lit during the evening aarti
but travel between the major ghats at night time is
difficult as there is no lighting. From overly bright
ghats to mysterious dark corridors of the city, the
lighting system in Varanasi is very sporadic. The new
lighting system works to evenly spread light along the
ghats, creating a safer space that is easily accesible.
The lighting proposal includes bollard lighting for
the trails between the ghats, hanging lights for the
narrow lanes in the old city, step lighting so people
can see their way down to the river, spot lighting for
the heritage buildings as well as for signage, and
evacuation lighting in emergency. The levels of ghat
illumination, existing and proposed, show where the
light is most and least concentrated. The section cut
shows signage, path, and step lighting.

31
 Figure 3.23 - Vending typology on the ghats

Vendors selling a myriad of items ranging from col- buildings, are set back the furthest from the flow of
orful silks to fruits to items used for worship, add to pedestrian traffic along the streets leading into the
the chaotic atmosphere of the ghats both visually ghat. These merchants’ locations are more or less
and physically. Though the vendor system may seem fixed. Carts, items laid out on blankets to be packed
overwhelming and even disorienting at times to up at the days end, and make-shift tables, all semi-
newcomers, it promises livelihood to many people. fixed vendors, are a step closer to the passers-by.
Stimulating to all of the senses, Varanasi’s commer- Mobile vendors carry their goods with them, moving
cial landscape offers a compelling experience. Many easily with the changing tides of people.
commercial activities move, following the flow of
pedestrian traffic. Merchandise overflows from carts
and tables lining the streets. Standing shops entice
with colorful displays of their goods, often hanging
at eye level or above. Commercial activities create
a dynamic landscape laden with color, texture, odor,
and sounds, adding vitality to the scene. Although
vending appears very haphazard initially, closer
examination reveals a hierarchical arrangement of
commerce along the street system and the ghats.
This hierarchy is particularly apparent at Dashash-
wamedh Ghat, a popular tourist destination where
many religious celebrations occur. Standing shops,
often integrated into the lowest level of larger

32
 VENDING IN VARANASI
AN INTENTIONAL COMBINATION OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM

PROPOSED first aid Varanasi vendors can be given a pur- stead of clogging the narrow lanes, en-
poseful space to occupy and become hancing their visibility in the process. A
VENDING trail information an asset to the tourists and pilgrims rath- proposed coding system (left) for street
LOCATIONS er than a point of stress. By providing vendors increases legibility and identi-
fies tourism resources. This color cod-
maps available small interventions along unused wall
space on the Ghats themselves, ven- ing system would be further explained
transportation dors are given a place to display goods in tourist maps (below).
near major channels of foot traffic in-
water

CODING SYSTEM VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE

First Aid

Trail Information

TO PROVIDE TOURIST INFORMATION

Maps Available

Transportation

Water
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE

GHAT VENDING FURNITURE AND KIOSK

Trail Information

Maps Available

Transportation
First Aid

Water

The vending kiosk (right)

would provide tourist infor-
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
First Aid
mation and offer a storage
Trail Information

Maps Available location for the collapsible

Transportation

Water
stands shown below.

All of the ghat vending

furniture will be:
• Made from local materi-
als like reclaimed lum-
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE

ber from boats.

Trail Information

VENDING DETAIL
Maps Available

Transportation
First Aid

Water

• Flooding resistant.
Vending along wider lanes and on the
Ghats. Narrow lane commerce limited. • Secure
• Close to vending
hotspots.
• Regulated by a vendor
collective.

Wall-mounted folding tables Collapsible/stackable stand Garbage ring

0m 100m 200m

GHAT FURNISHINGS IN PLACE

Figure 3.24 - Design proposal for vending on the ghats

Congestion near the steps makes the narrow lanes that offers tourist maps and assistance to visitors. A
leading to the river nearly impossible to successfully coding system can be outlined in the tourist map to
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
First Aid

Trail Information

Maps Available

Transportation

navigate and vendors selling their wares are over- show travelers where maps, first aid, tour informa-
Water

looked when they form makeshift markets made from tion, or transportation assistance available. When
tarps and posts. The more mobile vendors should tourists access this information via vendors they will
be given a space to occupy and become an asset perceive them as a resource for their navigation
to tourists and pilgrims of Varanasi rather than a through the city rather than a source of harassment.
source of stress. Through small interventions along
unused wall space on the ghats themselves, vendors
are given a place to display goods near major chan-
nels of foot traffic instead of clogging the narrow
lanes. Wall-mounted folding tables, garbage rings
that hold plastic bags, and collapsible tables that
can be stacked and stored at the day’s end all give
merchants an opportunity to better market their mer-
chandise. Vendors can use these furnishings by sign-
ing up through a vendor collective, being assigned a
table of their choice, and becoming responsible for
the maintenance and security of the table. The furni-
ture can be collapsed and locked on the ghats when
vendors have finished their activities. Collapsible
tables can be housed in a semi-mobile vending kiosk

33
 ASSI GHAT REST AREA
& AUDIANCE

AARTI
PERFORMENCE

RITUAL AREA

GREEN SPACE

AARTI PERFORMANCE EVERY NIGHT

SILT AREA

HOLY BATHING WORSHIP OF LINGA UNDER TREE WORSHIP IN MONSOON SEASON BOAT DOCKING & LARGE SILT AREA GANGA RIVER

BOAT DOCKING

FLOATING
BIRDGE & STAGE
STEP &
PLATFORM

BUILDING

DRY SEASON SECTION MONSOON SEASON SECTION

WATER LEVEL WATER LEVEL

DIFFERENCE 16FT. DIFERANCE 16FT.
Silt Area 120 ft. Silt Area 120 ft.

DRY SEASON PROPOSED PLAN MONSOON SEASON PROPOSED PLAN

DRY SEASON PROPOSED SECTION MONSOON SEASON PROPOSED SECTION

Figure 3.25 - Design proposal for performative landscape, Assi ghat

Assi Ghat is one of the most popular ghats with easy Strategies for creating amphibious space including:
access from the city. It received the patronage of redesigning the ghats, inserting a floating stage for
Marathas in the 18th-19th c. The Jagannath Tem- daily performance, and linear floating piers connect-
ple on the ghat is the replica of Jagannath Temple ing the steps and water edge. The main objective is
in Puri. Below at the footsteps is the linga of Kun- to enlarge the performance space and provide boat
dodareshvara Shiva under a Pipal Tree. In the after- docking. The platform size around the temple and
math of Assi Nala being diverted a kilometer to the sacred tree is extended. Curvilinear shapes replace
south in 1980, the Ganga flow has receded from the original acute angle of the steps, thus prevent-
Assi Ghat, leaving a large exposed silt area. Located ing further silt deposit. A floating stage on the hard
in the south end of the ghat stretch, it has relatively revetments wall extends the stage area for the aarti
large open space with potential to be developed. performance. In the dry season the stage is support-
However, the site is covered by large expanses of silt ed by the wall, while during the monsoon season, it
extending up to 120 feet from the steps. As a result, floats up with the water level.
most activities occur on the unstable and uncomfort-
able silt-bed. Besides, the space between buildings
and steps is not large enough for rituals. Seasonal
flooding increases the water level resulting in lack
of public space. The main activities include bathing
in the holy Ganga River, worship of linga under the
tree and in the temple, boat landing, praying and
meditation, and the traditional aarti ceremony every
evening.

34
Figure 3.26 - Design proposal for performative landscape, Dashashwamedha ghat
The floating dock consists of plywood 10’ x 10’ plat-
forms supported by styrofoam buoyancy billets. For
it to be stable for six people on board, the floatation
capacity needs to be at minimum of 1300 lbs. For
example the 10’ x 10’ platform would weigh 400
lbs (100 x 4 lbs per sq. ft) and 6 people at 150 lbs
each equals 900 lbs. Therefore floatation required
is 1300 lbs (900 + 400). With the use of only four
(7” x 20” x 8’) billets (425 lbs each equals 1700 lbs
floatation), the platform can at minimum bear six or
more people on board without capsizing. Also it can
be combined and adjusted to create more spaces.
As more platforms are added, boat parking will also
increase.
The linear floating bridges, supported by two extra
revetments walls, connect the steps and water edge,
on which people are able to walk on both dry and
monsoon seasons. On the west side of bridges, there
are several tall octagonal terraces for various activi-
ties during the dry season and connect the bridges to
the platform when steps are under water in the mon-
soons. Dycel concrete revetments reinforce the em-
bankment and prevent silt from accumulating on the
ghats. The boats will park along the concrete revet-
ment in the dry season and berth beside the floating
bridges during the monsoon, thus adding space for
the large crowds that gather to watch the aarti cere-
mony in the evenings.
35

 











1 

Figure 3.27 - Site analysis of Manikarnika ghat
Manikarnika Ghat is the most popular site of crema-
tion where the funeral pyres are never extinguished
with about 28,000 bodies burnt every year. Cre-
mation can be interpreted as the symbolic sacrifice
essential for regenerating the cosmos—the ghat is
therefore the site of recurring dissolution and recre-
ation of the universe. It is associated with both Shiva
and Vishnu, eternally present at the site that is abso-
lute space and where time stands still. Here moksha,
liberation from the cycle of rebirths is promised and
the Ganga washes away the pollution of death. Cir-
cumambulation of Varanasi, the Panchkroshi Yatra,
begins with a bath at Manikarnika Ghat.
36

Histrorical photos are from www.oldindianphotos.in/.





2 


3 






The ghat is mentioned in a 5th c. Gupta inscription,
rebuilt in 1302 CE and renovated by the Marathas in
1735 CE and 1872 CE. The Holkar queen Ahilyabai
in 1795 CE built Tarakeshvara Temple where Shiva
is worshipped as Tarakeshvar, one who whispers the
Taraka Mantra in the ear of the dying. Early photo-
graphs of the ghats in 1922 and 1947 show crema-
tion occurring on tiers of the embakments. Today the
process of cremation is haphazard and spilling on to
the floodplain. Stacks of wood in the narrow lanes
interfere with the mourning processions, and crowds
of voyuristic tourists in boats gape at the spectacle of
death. The redesign of Manikarnika Ghat organizes
space by introducing 21 new cremation platforms in
front of Bhuthnath Temple with circulation spaces for
mourners. A separate loading zone for wood trans-
ported by boats is demarcated and movable screens
for privacy are proposed.





A B


C


C

 B
C


 

C
 







C
 
 

 

 


 
  A



 
  



 

C
 B 




 
 


A  
 





 







 




 

 





 






Figure 3.28 - Design proposal for Manikarnika ghat


 37
 Figure 3.29 - Site analysis of Panchganga ghat

This ghat marks the confluence of five rivers—Gan-

ga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kirana, and Dhutpapa and
has been popular among the faithful since the 11th-
12th Gahadvala period. The great Bindu Madhav
Temple, described by Tavernier in 1665 CE, was an
awe-inspiring structure, built by Man Singh, ruler of
Amber in 1585 CE. It was demolished by the Mu-
ghal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1673 CE and the im-
posing Alamgir Mosque built at the site. The Vishnu
deity was housed in small house nearby that came
to be known as Bindu Madhav Temple. The Maratha
Peshwas repaired the ghat in 1735 CE, first con-
structed in 1580 CE. Panchganga Ghat is associated
with the Ramananda, the teacher of Vedanta, Kabir,
the bhakti poet and the great author Tulsidas wrote
his book Vinaya Patrika on this ghat. In October-No-
vember every year during the Hindu Karttik month,
devotees bathe in the Ganga here in large numbers,
as this is an auspicious time. The ghat is lit up with
tall bamboo poles with lamps to commemorate an-
cestors.

38
Figure 3.30 - Design proposal for Panchganga ghat

The viewsheds to and from the Ganga are striking

with domes of the mosque and steep flight of stairs
adding to the picturesque effect. The Panchganga
Ghat is difficult to access from the city as the streets
leading to it are narrow and labyrinthine plus there
are encroachments on public space and signs are
lacking. Public space on the ghat too is inadequate
especially in the evenings when the aarti to the Gan-
ga is performed. In the redesign proposal performa-
tive space is added by linking the platforms extend-
ing into the Ganga. The plaza at the higher level
between the mosque and the temple overlooking the
ghats is redesigned as a peace plaza to bring the
Hindu and Muslim communities together. Signage
and lighting enhance the legible quality of the public
space.

39
  







Mosque Temple 

Place of Worship Communal Violence
Time: Nov. 8, 1991
Death: 15-50
Rioting began on Election 
Day when the Hindus
Not permitted to Image as both allegedly prevented the
Muslims from voting.
depict the image embodiment of
of God nor any gods and gods
prophet. themselves

Use of Statues and Pictures

God (Allah) is the only god

and is all-powerful and Monism, Kathenotheism,
omniscient. Monotheism
Concept of Deity 

Bombing
A constant cycle Time: Mar. 7, 2006

Death: 28
of reincarnation Injured: 101
Eternal life in until moksha The blast started at the
paradise or hell. Sankat Mochan Hanuman 
is attained. Temple. Hundreds of
pilgrims were in temple
Views on the Afterlife as it was a holy day 
devoted to
Hanuman.
Belief vary. Some say the 
path they describe is the
only path to God and
All other religions are false, salvation. Some believe
but muslims should not that all spiritual paths lead
disrespect them. to the same God.
View on Other Religions
Settment in Islam came Mughal Emperor
Varanasi to India Aurangzeb’s reign
Demolition of Shri
Kashi Vishwanath
Temple and
Kedara temple
Hindus Muslims
800 BC ………… 320 CE 900 CE 1193 CE 1658 CE 1767 CE ……

Construction of The Muslim armies of Reign of

Gupta temple Qutb-ud-din Aibak Queen
 destroyed almost 1000 Ahalyabai
Hindu temples. Holkar, who
Including Temple patronized
Weaving of Adi Keshava, the numerous
Other
temple of Konarak, Hindu temples
and Vishwanath
Temple
Figure 3.31 - Hinduism and Islam

Varanasi periodically witnesses communal violence
between Hindus and Muslims. Public spaces are
potential sites of conflict and terrorist activities. Al-
though Islam and Hinduism are antithetical in many
respects, yet inter-faith dialogue can bring out the
common ground and universal message of both reli-
gions. In our proposal the ghats are conceptualized
as spaces of negotiation and reconciliation. Peace
garden is proposed as a design prototype for en-
couraging communication and promoting activities
that lead to greater understanding of shared human-
ity beyond religious differences.
Between the eleventh and seventeenth centuries the
temples of Varanasi were destroyed at least four
times but the remarkable resiliency of the sacred
sites is attested in rebuilding of temples. The history
of repeated destruction of temples and building of
mosques at the sacred sites of Hinduism can be read
in the cultural landscape of Varanasi even today.
Although it may be difficult to overlook reminders of
the past, this history should be put into perspective
and read as chronicle of not just conquest and de-
struction but also harbinger of the hybrid Indo-Islam-
ic culture in music, arts, cuisine, and myriad eco-
nomic transactions.
In spite of occasional conflicts, residents of Vara-
nasi with different religious backgrounds share an
easygoing life style, marked by bonhomie. Although
a minority forming about a quarter of the popula-
tion, Muslims plays an important role in the urban
economy. Weaving is one of the largest industries in
Varanasi, and about 70% of weavers are Muslims.At
Balaji Ghat, the historic palace with the Balaji Tem-
ple built by the Peshwas in 1735 CE is now being
renovated for public use. It is adjacent to the Alamgir
Mosque built on a site dedicated to Bindu Madhav
Temple first built in the eleventh century and then
again in the sixteenth century, finally demolished a
century later.

40
 






 










Festival Community Feast Interfaith Dialogue Viewing

   

Figure 3.32 - Proposal for peace garden at Balaji ghat

This juxtaposition of Hindu and Muslim religious sites

is as an ever-present reminder of the diversity and
pluralism of Varanasi. Balaji Palace has an open
terrace offering a panoramic view of Ganga where
a public plaza/garden is proposed. The peace gar-
den uses traditional Indian weaving patterns, heri-
tage common to all living in Varanasi. The garden
design does not use religious symbols —it is simply
a community space that brings people together for
interfaith dialogue and shared meals on Hindu and
Muslim festivals. The prototypical peace garden can
be inserted at several sites along the riverbank where
communal violence has occurred in the past such as
Gola Ghat, Kedar Ghat, and Assi Ghat.

41
 Figure 3.33 - Site plan I

42
HEALTHY AND RESILIENT
LANDSCAPE
The physiography of the Ganga’s banks is mapped
in site hydrology--Ganga and Varana flow in sum-
mer and monsoon, flood and drought conditions, in-
land water bodies; terrain of ridge, hills, floodplain;
and soils and vegetation. Ganga, the archetypal
river of purity washing away physical dirt and moral
sins, is now polluted because of the large amount of
waste generated at the ghats and by the city. Ritual
worship and bathing, cremation, and sewage cause
the Ganga water to be contaminated and a health
hazard. The ghats in Varanasi are envisaged as a
healthy landscape by reducing point source pollution
in the Ganga and creating a clean land-water inter-
face through public sanitation programs and design
prototypes such as non-polluting bathing tanks, com-
post gardens, biofiltration basins, and ghat recycling
center. Natural cleansing systems, such as wetlands
and phytoremediation treat wastewater and increase
biodiversity. Local composting and recycling are pro-
posed to reduce the biodegradable waste. Bathing
tanks are designed with bio-filtration basins for de-
creasing contaminants in the water, thus promoting
the health of the river and of those who engage with
it. Dumping sites near the ghats are reclaimed as
waste management facility in a landscape of marshy
lagoons for phytoremediation. The urban sanitation
and composting programs should aim to limit river
BOD (biological oxygen demand) to a safe level by
2030. Education through the use of on-site murals
and other media to promote proper waste disposal
and recycling will positively engage the community in
ensuring a clean environment.

The Ganga is flooding more often because of de-

forestation upstream and constriction in its flow
locally caused by silt deposition on the east bank.
Frequent flooding negatively impacts the ghats and
the city above them. Their resiliency, i.e. their ability
to recover rapidly from disaster and prepare for as
well as prevent future catastrophes from recurring,
is increased through site planning and design. By
reclaiming inland water bodies, and restoring Va-
rana River and Assi Nala watersheds as greenways,
resiliency of the urban landscape to cope with flood
events is improved. In this ecological approach,
on the northern stretch of ghats, planted edges and
constructed wetlands are recommended. The width
of the river is increased by silt removal thus allow-
ing the rising waters to spread on the east bank.
This shifting fluvial landscape is reclaimed as public
space that can be used intensively in the dry season
for recreational activities thus alleviating the stress on
the ghats. Building wetlands that act as biofiltration
basins and planting memorial groves that recycle
cremation ashes as fertilizer in sediment fills in up-
land areas stabilizes the landscape.

43
 Figure 4.1 - Analysis of site hydrology
The Ganga meanders through the Indo-Gangetic
plains of Northern India leaving traces of erosion
and deposition of sediment transported by the riv-
er. The holy city of Varanasi and its majestic ghats
on the western bank sit on the erosion edge while
the east bank is the deposition edge. On the highly
constructed west bank there is visibly less erosion.
The water level of Ganga fluctuates through the
year affecting the ghats; however the normal water
level is 65.37 meters, allowing the various rituals
and other activities to occur. In drought the water
level is around 60 meters above the mean sea level
that results in exposing the silt bed. Due to climate
change the frequency of flooding is increasing, oc-
curring now at every five years interval. The high-
est level of flood recorded as 73.90 meters is well
above the 71.26 meters considered to be the danger
level completely submerging the ghats. The 100 year
flood will cover all parts of the ghats, including tem-
ples and historic buildings.
44
The flooding and silting is a threat to the cultural
landscape and design intervention should take into
account the flooding cycle as well as the process of
erosion and deposition. The mild slope of the east
bank is continuously covered with layers of silt depo-
sition every year. With deforestation in the Himalayan
foothills, sediment loads in the Ganga are increas-
ing. The sand bed formed in the flood plain expands
laterally and increases in height with the downstream
flow, the maximum elevation being Prahlad Ghat.
In the absence of sand mining on the east bank the
width of the river is constantly decreasing. Due to this
decrease there is constant pressure on the built edge
that may result in collapse of the Ghats in future.
 



98M
91M

96M

80M 65M
Contours are at a 5m interval











Figure 4.2 - Analysis of terrain

Mapping the terrain of Varanasi at 15 meter intervals

revealed the high ridge on the west bank marked by
three hills associated with the trident of Shiva. The
promontories are the nuclei of three sacred regions
of Varanasi—Omkareshvara Khanda in the north
close to the confluence of River Varana with Gan-
ga, Kedareshvara Khanda in the south close to Assi
Nala, and Vishveshvara Khanda in the center. The
high elevation of the west bank has made it suitable
for urban settlement.

45
 Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood

 Sandy Clay Loam Clay Sandy Loam

13% 25% 16% 46%

Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood

Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood


 Sandy Clay Loam Clay Sandy Loam

Rabi Crops Harvested Rabi Crops Sown

13% 25% 16% 46% 13% 25% 16% 46%
Monsoon Season

Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood

J F M A M J J A S O N D
Sandy Clay Loam Clay Sandy Loam
Sandy Clay Loam Clay SandyKharif
LoamCrops Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Harvested
13% 25% 16%
Sown Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested 46%
Monsoon Season
Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil
Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood Millet
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Kharif Crops Kharif Crops

Rabi Crops Harvested
13% 25% 16%
Sown Rice 46%
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested


Greengram Sesame
Monsoon Season

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil

Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood
J F M A M J J A S O Millet N D

Bodhi Ashoka Bel Banyan Sandalwood Kharif Crops Rabi Crops Harvested Kharif Crops Rabi Crops Sown
Rabi Crops Harvested 13% Sown 25% 16% Rabi Crops Sown
Greengram Harvested
Rice 46% Sesame
N
Monsoon Season
Monsoon Season
Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil
J F M A M J
13% J 25%
A
J
S
16%
F
O
MMillet
N
A
D
M 46%J J A S O N D

Kharif Crops Kharif Crops

Sandy Clay Loam Clay Sandy Loam
Kharif Crops Rabi Crops Harvested Kharif Crops
Sown Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested N
Sown Greengram Harvested
Rice Sesame
Monsoon Season

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil
Millet
J F MMillet A M J J A S O N D

Kharif Crops Kharif Crops

Rabi Crops Harvested Sown Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
Greengram Rice Sesame
Greengram Rice Sesame N
Monsoon Season

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil

Millet
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Kharif Crops Kharif Crops

Rabi Crops Harvested Sown Rabi Crops Sown
Greengram Harvested
Rice Sesame
N
Monsoon Season

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil

Millet
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Sandalwood Rabi Crops Harvested

Kharif Crops Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Sown
Sown Greengram Harvested Sesame
N
Monsoon Season Rice

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil

J F M A M J J A S O N D
Millet

13% 25% 16% 46%

Kharif Crops Kharif Crops
Sown Harvested N
Greengram Rice Sesame

Wheat Barley Pearl Mustard Lentil

Millet

Greengram Rice Sesame

N

Figure 4.3 - Mapping of soil and vegetation

Soils and vegetation mapping of east and west banks

of the Ganga points to several problematic issues.
The soil is mostly sandy or a sandy loam and not an
ideal medium for vegetation growth. Furthermore, it
is not appropriate for building, as it does not have
much support. The west bank of the Ganga is dense-
ly built up with the ghats and has only a sparse num-
ber of trees struggling for Rabi survival. In the northern
Crops Sown
section of the ghats, there is denser vegetation due
to the Varana
Monsoon SeasonRiver and far fewer building structures.

Many trees found in this section such as banyan and

J peepal
J trees
A haveS sacred O associations.
N DThe farmland
across the river is located on higher ground. Sea-
Kharif Crops sonal farming isKharifdone on the northern part of the
Crops
Sown west bank and towards Harvested the southern part of the east

bank where the flood plain soils can support vegeta-

bles andPearl
fruits. Mustard Lentil
Millet

reengram Rice Sesame

N

46
Figure 4.4 - Design proposal for seasonal parks on the ghat

Stretches of the west bank with a hard slope between

the ghats are currently unused or just being used for
drying. The land in these areas can be terraced open-
ing up new possibilities. Pocket parks with small areas
for vegetable gardening and clean bathing tanks are
proposed. Furthermore, drying areas for washermen
can still be provided. This will help create a more
sustainable community space and add more greenery
along the ghats. It could potentially lessen congestion
from the more dense areas as well. Additionally, green
terracing will help with erosion problems on the unbuilt
slopes caused by flooding. In the vegetated semi-hard-
scape local sandstone will be used to construct the
terraces and native trees and grasses will be planted.

47
 
 
SAHARANPUR
HARDWAR

MUZAFFARNAGAR
MEERUT
NEW DELHI BAREILLY

ALIGARH
MATHURA
LUCKNOW KANPUR
AGRA KANPUR
Ga PATNA FARAKKA GURGAON-DELHI-MEERUT Ga
FIROZABAD
nga ARA nga
Rive BHAGALPUR AGRA River
RAE BARELI
ALLAHBAD
r BAHARAMPUR
VARANASI
MIRZAPUR BARDDHAMAN
KOLKATTA

GUJARAT
HALDIA

BHOPAL HUGLI

yas yas
Vindh Vindh

 
(contribute to river pollution in the form of domestic waste) rice
cities along Ganga River two predominant crops
toxic fertilizers and
cities along Ganga’s tributaries wheat pesticides used in
bajra (millet) surrounding farmland
contribute to Ganga
river pollution

’ major industrial centers



contributes contamination in the form of
toxic metals dumped point source pollution heavy metalsand air pollution
into the river from
manufacturing centers
contribute
to Ganga river pollution




sewage treatment plants BOD before: BOD after: water pollution levels
before and after passing through
servicing the city of Varanasi: 5-8 mg/L 20-50 mg/L
the city of Varanasi
Dinapur
sewage treatment plant
the permissible limit
of BOD for bathing 
is requires inputs of fertilizer and pesticides
Water Pumping Station- Gola Ghat less than 3 mg/L. that cause a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels in the
river and pollute water supplies with harmful toxins.
Much of the farming occurs along the water’s edge, making contamination even easier.
Water Pumping Station- Jalasen Ghat Even without the waste of the
Water Pumping Station- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Ghat city, the Ganga is too polluted
for any rituals or human
activity.

Water Pumping Station- Pampuwa Ghat

DLW Complex
sewage treatment plant
Bhagwanpur
sewage treatment plant

3 mg/L
BOD BOD BOD BOD BOD BOD
before after before after before after
treatment treatment treatment treatment treatment treatment

STPs in Varanasi dis-

charge treated wastewater
A 2001 study by India’s Central Pollution Control Board found that directly into the Ganga.
two of the three STPs in Varanasi are operating
over capacity. BOD Dinapur DLW Complex
This water, though improved, is still far
safe level above safe BOD levels for human contact.
28 mg/L

19 mg/L

  

10.5 mg/L

 (BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen in a body of water needed by microorganisms in
 order to decompose organic matter. It is a measure of the degree of pollution in a given
ecosystem.

ritual activities, including cremation

 andcutting of haircontribute to pollution in the
Ganges, along with materials used for and
daily activities, including laundering
eatingcontribute to pollution in the Ganges, along with
offerings large quantities of trash

non-biodegradable waste on
the ghats of Varanasi:

plastic bags food packaging soap from those colorful aluminum foil
detergent from those
bathing along the papers used during
laundering along the
shore ritual celebrations
shore

biodegradable and recyclable

waste on the ghats of Varanasi:

food waste clay pots from chai, animal waste lumber from old boats bodies and animal
flower offerings
offerings, and other and structures carcasses
food items

Figure 4.5 - Analysis of sources of pollution in ganga

The ghats are littered with rubbish and it is not un- Ritual offerings and the plastic bags they are carried
common to stumble into rotting piles of offerings. in, washing of clothes and bodies, animal waste,
Some of this waste finds its way into the Ganga, 7000 tonnes of ash released from about 88 crema-
littering the shoreline and bobbing along with the tions every day and 300 tonnes of charred human
current. Occasionally the horrifying sight of a float- flesh have made the Ganga unhealthy. Biodegrad-
ing half-cremated body can be seen. This calls into able and non-biodegradable waste products gener-
question the purifying powers of the holy river. Al- ated on the ghats should be properly disposed of in
though industrial waste from the upper Ganga basin an effort to reduce the amount of waste entering the
in Uttar Pradesh can account for some of the con- river. Without urgent measures to mitigate pollu-
tamination of the Ganga, Varanasi city contributes to tion this cultural, natural, and spiritual resource will
350 million liters of sewage each day. Sewage and threaten the safety of those who interact with it.
domestic waste drains into the river with only about
one third of it processed by sanitary treatment facili-
ties. The biochemical oxygen demand in the Ganga,
a measure of contamination, increases by more than
500 percent after passing through Varanasi. Sewage
treatment plants are operating over-capacity and
waste management programs are not effective. Point
source pollution from the street sewers pours into the
river at locations shown on the map while non-point
source pollution from industry and agriculture adds
to the overall contamination levels.

48
PROPOSED GHAT WASTE RECEPTICLES
COMPOSTING ht

LOCATIONS
COMPOSTING IN VARANASI
COMPOSTING INtransforming
VARANASIwaste into viable fertilizer OVERVIEW
transforming waste into viable fertilizer OVERVIEW

PROPOSED GHAT WASTE RECEPTICLES

T
PROPOSED COMPOSTINGGHAT WASTE RECEPTICLES
COMPOSTING LOCATIONS
LOCATIONS

Overflow
compost Tumblers built
moved via Tumblers built from reclaimed materials
boat to waste
centers.
On-ghat compost tumblers.
Overflow
compost
Overflow moved via
compost boat to waste
moved via centers.
boat to waste
On-ghat compost tumblers.
centers.
On-ghat compost tumblers.
COMPOSTING INPUTS THE COMPOST SYSTEM
Implementing a compost program in Va- ti
COMPOSTING INPUTS THEoffers
ranasi COMPOST
a productive SYSTEM
use for the bio- G
Implementing waste
degradable a compost Va- tion would
program inpolluting
currently thehappso
COMPOSTING INPUTS THE COMPOST
NITROGEN WASTE SYSTEM ranasi offers a productive use for the bio- Ghats themselv
Implementing a compost program in Va- Ghats.
tion would happen degradable Ritual
at two scales: onofferings,
waste the
currently animal
polluting waste,
the solid waste mae
NITROGEN WASTE
CARBON WASTEranasi offers a productive use for the bio- Ghats themselvesfood
and
Ghats.scraps
as part of and
Ritual other
aofferings,
larger compostable
animal waste, event ma- c
of overflo
solid waste management system
andinother
the compostable ma- composting.
NITROGEN WASTE woodchipsdegradable
CARBONwaste WASTE currently polluting the food scraps
terials rot on the steps, but it is possible
Ghats. Ritual offerings, animal waste,
woodchips event of overflow from
terialsthe
rotsmaller
on thescale
steps, but it is possible T
The site-specific
CARBON WASTE sawdustfood scraps and sawdust
other compostable ma- composting. forforthis this refuse
refuse to to be transformed
be transformed into a into a
vegetables vegetables lize landings lia
woodchips cottonterials rot on the cotton
steps, but it is possible
fruit
productive
The site-specificproductive
composting wouldgrowing
growing medium.
uti- medium. gardens, and p
sawdust
vegetables silk
silkrefuse
for this (sari fabric) fruit
to be transformed into a g
cotton (sariADDITIVES
OTHER fabric)productive growing papermedium. food scraps lize landings as miniature
The componentscommunityshown on this board ceptacles, and
OTHER ADDITIVES fruit ritualfood scraps marigolds The
gardens, and place components
tumblers,
would waste re- to
be introduced shown
create aon thispoints
viable board c
along the
OTHER ADDITIVES
silk (sari fabric) paper baskets
food scraps ash (for odor)The components shown on thisholy board ceptacles, and rolling bins at system.
composting strategicCompost produc-
paper
ritual baskets marigolds
shells basil would be introduced to create a viable p
ritual baskets marigolds would be introduced to create a viable points along the 7-kilometer stretch.
ash
shells(for odor) shellscomposting holy basil composting system. Compost produc-
ash (for odor) GHAT TUMBLERS
holy basil & system. Compost produc-
RANA PRATAP
GHAT TUMBLERS & COMPOST GARDENS RANA PRATAP GHAT - Pre
GHAT
COMPOST GARDENS
TUMBLERS & - Precedent
RANA P
COMPOST GARDENS

https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosnciso

A community ghat garden b

https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosncisous-oar-boys-created-an-example-on-ghats-of-varanasi/

A community ghat garden built by local oar-boys.

https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/20

A community g
Potted pla

Potted plants provide another use

GHAT GARDENS - Section for compost.

GHAT GARDENS - Section

0m 100m 200m https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosncisous-oar-boys-created-an-example-on-ghats-of-varanasi/

0m 100m 200m https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosncisous-oar-boys-created-an-example-on-ghats-of-varanasi/

Figure 4.6 - Design proposal for composting on the ghats

GHAT GARDENS - Section

0m 100m 200m https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosncisous-oar-boys-created-an-example-on-ghats-of-varanasi/

Implementing a compost program in Varanasi offers A precedent for community members reclaiming
a productive use for biodegradable waste currently ghat space for plant production exists already on the
point source pollution for the Ganga. Ritual offer- Rana Pratap Ghat. The compost gardens would be
ings, animal waste, food scraps and other com- similarly socially engaged involving local community
postable materials rot on the steps when they could members.
be transformed into a productive growing medium. Compost site furnishings must be made from local
In the proposed system compost production would materials. The tumbler barrels can be reclaimed from
happen at two scales: at a smaller scale on the nearby industrial plants. Wooden frames to house
ghats themselves and as part of a larger solid waste trash bags, bins, and the tumblers themselves can be
management system. Site furnishings for composting made from recycled lumber from old boats. The low,
include waste receptacles that sort garbage, recycla- stacked-brick growing beds like those on the Rana
bles, and compost materials, a well as compost bins, Pratap Ghat garden can withstand flooding if prop-
compost tumblers, and solid-waste transport boats erly constructed and filled in with new soil at the be-
that collect the sorted waste and take it to the solid ginning of each new season. Tumblers, bins, frames
waste management center on the north and east and trash bags, on the other hand, are all sufficiently
banks. The waste management center would handle mobile to be moved during the monsoon. With the
garbage incineration, recycling, and compost pro- proper utilization of local materials, education, and
duction for nearby fields. The site-specific compost- community engagement, composting can be a com-
ing would utilize landings as miniature community munity resource and a long-term sustainable solution
gardens, and place tumblers, waste receptacles, and for waste management.
rolling bins at strategic points along the ghat stretch.

49
 Figure 4.7 - Design typology of ghat platforms

Bathers in the Ganga are exposed to contaminants

through direct contact with water that has untreated
effluent and waste. Pollutants are released into the
Ganga when pilgrims bathe due to the use of soaps,
or other detergents that contaminate the water. The
prototype of the private bathing tank with filtration
systems is designed to solve the water contamination
problem. Bio-filtration systems under the two octag-
onal platforms improve the water quality by pumping
and releasing clean water from and to the Ganga.
This ensures that the Ganga is not further contami-
nated, but most importantly, to keep the bathing tank
clean for pilgrims. The private bathing tank is most
needed in Dashashwamedh Ghat as well as in many
other ghats that are bathing hotspots along the sa-
cred Ganga. The form is derived from existing design
typologies of bathing structures on the ghats. The
private bathing tank fulfills the crucial need of having
a clean bathing environment in the Ganga.
N

50
 BATHING TANKS ALONG GANGA
DASHASHWAMEDH GHAT

• ACCESSIBLE ROOF • P R I VAT E • FILTRATION SYSTEM TO • SUPPORT PILINGS • E X I S T I N G

B AT H I N G AND FROM BATHING TANK STEPS REMAIN
A R E A UNCHANGED

SECTION ALONG GHATS

• WAT E R • PRE-TREATMENT_ • T R E AT M E N T _ • WATER PUMPED

FROM SETTLING BASIN SAND FILTRATION VERTICALLY INTO
GANGA BATHING TANK
RIVER

MASSING DIAGRAM FILTRATION SYSTEM DIAGRAM

Figure 4.8 - Design proposal for bathing tanks on the ghats

51
 GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION & DEPLETION
WATER BODY LOSS OVER THE PAST 200 YEARS
1822 1972
Historic Data Boundary LIne
1 km 1 km
EXISTING WATER BODIES & OPEN SPACE
Heritage Water Body
Unidentified Water Body
Built Over Water Body
Agriculture
Park
Road
Rail
1 km
Figure 4.9 - Site analysis of ground water contamination
There is an acute shortage of water in Varanasi be-
cause the water supply system is over a century old
and the distribution system is inadequate.About 55%
of water supply needs are met by tube wells and
hand pumps leading to ground water depletion. The
adequate solid waste management and absence of
sanitary water treatment plagues the ghats landscape
and increase pollution in the Ganga . The city’s high
resident and floating population strains current mu-
nicipal facilities far beyond their functioning capaci-
ties, which leads to large amounts of untreated waste
water being expelled directly into Varana and Ganga
Rivers and the failure to collect approximately eighty
six metric tons of waste in the city every day. The
combination of intermittent power loss, fluctuation
in the Ganga velocities, rising and falling levels as
well as outdated, poorly managed treatment facilities
has resulted in deterioration of public spaces and
increasing groundwater pollution.
52
2014
Historic Data Boundary LIne Historic Data Boundary LIne
1 km
IDENTIFIED SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER & RIVER CONTAMINATION
Sewage Treatment Plant
Community Dumping Area
Inner City Dump GW Test Sites
Direct Discharge Sites
Road
Rail
1 km
The region once had an extensive system of natural
and manmade water bodies called talabs and kunds
respectively. In ancient times, these water bodies
were constructed and used strategically to collect
and store water for times of drought while uninten-
tionally providing a natural groundwater recharge
and filtration system for the city. As Varanasi ex-
panded, these water bodies were encroached upon,
depleted for drinking and irrigation water as well as
filled in for urban development. The present situa-
tion of amassing uncollected garbage has forced the
community into establishing large-scale community
dumping grounds on the outskirts of the city, as well
as filling the low lying areas and ponds, i.e. what
remains of the ancient water body network within
the city with rubbish. Studies on groundwater qual-
ity in Varanasi show that the most vulnerable points
for groundwater contamination were in public areas
filled with waste.
 VARUNA RIVER ACTION PLAN
PASSIVE GROUNDWATER RECHARGE AND FILTRATION SYSTEM IN VARANASI

OPEN WATER
SHALLOW EMERGENT MARSH
OBSERVATION
TOWER

OIL BEARING CROPS:

H2O INFILTRATION H2O INFILTRATION
H2O INFILTRATION DEEP MIXED EMERGENT MARSH HEAVY METAL SEQUESTRATION

VARUNA RIVER
HORIZONTAL H2O FILTRATION
H2O INFILTRATION
a a'

KACHHA BAGH VARUNA RIVER STORMWATER MANAGEMENT/

FILTRATION NETWORK:
OPEN WATERBODIES &
CONNECTING GREENWAYS

RECLAIM INTERSTITIAL URBAN VOIDS AND MODIFY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND ESTABLISH
REMEDIATE POLLUTED WATERBODIES RIPARIAN BUFFER ALONG VARUNA
IMAGE SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS IMAGE SOURCE: FLICKR.COM

INFILTRATION
SUB-GRADE
TRENCH
b b'
nts
LIMIT AMOUNT OF UNTREATED WASTEWATER

OIL
BEARIING
CROPS

GREENWAY

RECLAIMED
WATERBODY

RECLAIMED
PUBLIC
SPACE
ENTERING RIVERS AND OPEN WATERBODIES

WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
SITE INTO GANGA

b' FLOODPLAIN
PROTECTION
ZONE
b
STUDENT PHOTO

RETENTION
PONDS CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
RECREATION AREA

a'
-OBSERVATION TOWERS
-TRAILS

LIMESTONE
LINED CELL

a
WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY

COMMUNITY PARK WITH

OIL BEARING CROP ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
FIELDS TO SEQUESTER & CONNECTING TRAIL
heritage water body unidentified water body
HEAVY METALS

proposed green existing park

network
55m 220m 20m 80m
0m 110m contaminated site oil crop agriculture 0m 40m

Figure 4.10 - Varuna rivershed reclamatio plan

The main objectives for the Varana Action plan are: The site design includes a connected system of pas-
1. Reclaim interstitial urban voids and remediate sive stormwater management strategies: subterra-
existing polluted water bodies into a green and blue nean infiltration trenches, greenways, and a waste
network to generate a rediscovered public domain. water treatment recreation area comprised of reten-
2. Limit the amount of untreated wastewater directly tion ponds for settling and a constructed wetland
entering the rivers and open water bodies. organized specifically for treatment of water contam-
3. Modify current agricultural practices along the inated with heavy metals and sewage. The large for-
Varuna River to establish a riparian buffer corridor mer community dumping area will serve as a poten-
and utilize oil-bearing crops to sequester heavy met- tial space for a waste management facility as well as
als in the soil and avoid public consumption of crops a site of extensive phytoremediation. This recreation
laden with toxins. area will connect the currently underappreciated ar-
chaeological site with the proposed cultural heritage
trail and the main transportation hubs of the city.

53
 Figure 4.11 - Site analysis of Assi nala watershed

In ancient times, inland water bodies dotted the

watershed of Assi Nala, and they drained and stored
water. During monsoons the overflow from the talabs
drained into the Ganga. As the water level of the
Ganga increased the overflow and the river mixed.
A few years ago, Assi Nala was diverted southwards,
so part of original Assi Nala lost its capacity to drain
water to the Ganga. The new Assi drain has more
strong drainage capacity, and the flow of the water is
faster; however the inland water system is destroyed,
and the city floods frequently in the monsoon sea-
son. Currently the watershed of Assi Nala is heavily
encroached, and the urban hydrology is disturbed. In
order to deal with city floods, it is proposed to rein-
troduce the original hydrology by changing the street
section and increasing the street capacity to hold
overflow during the monsoon season. The important
historical and sacred sites in the area can be linked
by the proposed heritage trail along this part of
Nala.

54
 Street Street + Basin

KURUKSHETRA POKHRA 25m

Heritage route proposal: REORGANIZATION Inland

Heritage route proposal: REORGANIZATION Inland water system proposal: REINTRODUCTION Dry
Heritage route proposal: REORGANIZATION Extreme Inland water system proposal: REINTRODUCTION
monsoon
case Street Street + Basin
HKAR TALAB DURGA KUND Street Street + Basin
S
KURUKSHETRA POKHRA 25m
DURGA KUND
DURGA KUND KURUKSHETRA POKHRA 25m
Railway Station Road
KURUKSHETRA POKHRA
Dry
10m Dry
Extreme
monsoon
Dry case
SI PUSHKAR TALAB
Extreme
monsoon
Extreme
Railway Station Road case
monsoon
NALA ASSI PUSHKAR TALAB
case
NALA ASSI
Extreme
PUSHKAR TALAB
10m
Railway Station Road
monsoon Railway10m
Station Road

00m case 10m

Dry Dry
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Dry

Street section proposal: CHANGE

NALA ASSI IN VERTICAL PUSHKAR TALAB
Extreme
monsoon
Extreme
100m case
monsoon Extreme
100m case monsoon
New heritage route 100m Lanka-Godaulia Road case
Buildings
New Vertical
heritageAssi
route
Buffer Visiting sites
Lanka-Godaulia Road

Buildings
bank
Vertical
Nala
Assi
bank
Buffer Visiting sites
Street section proposal: CHANGE IN VERTICAL
bank Nala bank
Street section Lanka-Godaulia
proposal:Road CHANGE IN VERTICAL
New heritage route
oon season water level

Normal water level

Kurukshetra pokhra
Vertical Assi Buffer Visiting sites
bank Nala
Durga Kund
bank
Street section proposal: CHANGE IN VERTICAL
Anand park Lanka-Godaulia Road

Monsoon season water level

Normal water level

Monsoon season water level
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road Dum Rao Park Kurukshetra pokhra
Normal water level
Kurukshetra pokhra
Durga Kund

Anand park
Durga Kund Lanka-Godaulia Road
New park
Pushkar Kund Anand park Lanka-Godaulia Road

Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road Dum Rao Park

100m
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road Dum Rao Park

New park
Monsoon season water level Pushkar Kund
Assi Nala New park
Normal water level Pushkar Kund

Kurukshetra pokhra

New heritage route Durga Kund

Assi Nala

Assi Nala
Anand park Lanka-Godaulia Road

Buildings Vertical Assi Buffer Visiting sites

New heritage route
New heritage route
bank Nala bank
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road
Stree
Dum Rao Park

New park
Pushkar Kund

Assi Nala

New heritage route Monsoon season water level

Normal water level

Durga

Anand

Durgaku

New p

Figure 4.12 - Design proposal for reclaiming the Assi nala

New heritage route

55
 ACTIVITIES

low land basins

medium deposition

hight deposition
PATTERN
FLUVIAL PROCESS



DEPOSITION

Figure 4.13 - Site analysis of east bank

The east bank is a flood plain flooded with water
as the Ganga swells in monsoon leaving layers of
silt and sand deposition along the convex shore-
line. The higher sand mounds and lower alluvium
is a shifting landscape changing with the season
and with the Ganga’s flow. There is seasonal
farming of watermelon and bitter gourd. The flood
plain offers panoramic views of the ghats and is
used for recreational activities such as pony rides
and picnics. Aghoris have set up camps and have
made sand lingas for worship.
The east bank is redesigned with the fluvial pro-
cess of successive deposition. The low-lying areas
are proposed as retention ponds planted with
grasses for bio-filtration to occur. The intermediate
level with rich alluvial deposits is designated for
seasonal farming.
The highest level is planned for public use with the
maidan (large public space for multifunctional use)
in axis with Dashashwamedh Ghat on the west bank.
During monsoon flooding the high points are still us-
able. Sand dredged from the shoreline can be used to
fill the low-lying area below the farmland where a me-
morial grove is proposed. Sand dredging will increase
the width of the Ganga flow by 300 meters and less-
en the pressure on the west bank. Walking trails are
proposed on ridges formed by accelerated natural
process where the sand on the site is mixed with the
bacteria Bacillus pasteurii forming into sandstone.

56
SEASONAL FARMS+PUBLIC SPACES
PUBLIC SPACES+VIEWING
BIOFILTERS+FARMS
CROSS SECTION

memorial grove
PROCESS+LANDFORM

Dredging_ High Deposition_ Medium Deposition_ Low land basins_ Sand+Bacteria_

increase river width forest+public spaces seasonal farms biofilters trails

Figure 4.14 - Site design proposal for east bank development Flooding condition

57
 

GROVE
GROVE
East Bank
neem tree

MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL
current conditions at Manikarnika Ghat

mango tree

ININ
USED THE
THE
Ganga
proposed line of fill

USED
banyan tree

BEBE
existing level

TOTO


TREES
Memorial

TREES
Grove ber tree

OFOF
*approximate number of bodies cremated

TYPES
daily in Varanasi

TYPES
  
pipal tree

*approximate weight of the ashes of a single

proposed line of fill
cremated body
existing level
proposed line of fill
existing level

*approximate amount of ashes produced daily

at Varanasi’s cremationproposed
ghats line of fill

TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE

existing level
proposed line of fill
TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE

soil nutrient layer

existing level

alternatively, cremated ashes

and compostable materials
can be used to fertilize soil
that helps trees grow
cremated ash layer

proposed
proposed
proposed lineofoffillfillline of fill
line
TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE

existing
existinglevel
existing level level
proposed line of fill
existing level
topsoil rich with
composted material
these memorial groves can
serve as places of worship,
remembrance, good health,
and educational centers
that teach the importance subsoils with cremated
of green space and wildlife ashes incorporated
habitats

proposed line of fill

existing level TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE
bedrock
compost education
&
ritual activity

Figure 4.15 - Design proposal for memorial grove on the east bank

Approximately 300-400 bodies are cremated ev- The idea of the Memorial Grove system is to use
ery day on the banks of the Ganga. The ashes of composted materials in topsoil to create a suitable
a cremated body weigh roughly between 1.8 and environment for seeds to germinate, and then pen-
2.7 kilograms, or 4-6 pounds. Each day, as these etrate the deeper ash layer of soil as the roots grow.
bodies are cremated at ghats such as Manikarnika, Because the Grove lies in a low-lying area of the
a startling amount of ashes accumulates (between East Bank, sediment fill from the shoreline into this
544 and 1088 kilograms, or 1200-2400 pounds) area is proposed along with the planting of sever-
at these sites, and much of it is dumped in the Gan- al banyan trees in order to stabilize the area and
ga. Though intended as a positive spiritual act to help it withstand flooding. The Memorial Grove
ensure the soul’s passage into heaven, these ashes design incorporates a series of elevated platforms
are contributing to the Ganga’s unbelievable levels and walkways created from recycled wood. These
of pollution. To reduce the pollution the concept of large platforms allow for various activities including
the East Bank Memorial Grove where ashes would be prayer, rituals, picnicking, and other recreational
preserved was developed. The soil construction of the activities. These platforms act as openings in the
Memorial Grove applies the Biourn system at a much grove, and are in the vicinity of one large memorial
larger scale. Biourns are composed of two layers of tree and a few smaller trees, or a small grouping
soil- one upper organic layer housing tree seeds and of three memorial trees. The East Bank Memorial
a second layer that incorporates cremated ashes of Grove is a site for remembrance, spirituality, recre-
loved ones. These layers are encased in a biodegrad- ation, and education.
able “urn” that is planted in the ground. As the seeds
germinate in the first layer of soil, the growing roots
penetrate the ash layer and use the ash as fertilizer.

58
 
Composting

Terraced landscape along the ghats

Bathing tanks

Biofilteration ponds

Floodplain landscape
84 - ADI KESHAVA GHAT

Conserved farmlands

Existing green

Ghats
Seasonal farms on
east bank
Memorial grove on east bank

Maidan on east bank

Nature trail on east bank

83 - RAJA GHAT

81 - NAYA GHAT

79 - SAKKA GHAT

78 - NANDU GHAT

76 - TRILOCANA GHAT
75 - BADRI NAYARANA GHAT

71 - SITLA GHAT

70 - BUNDI PARAKOTA GHAT

68 - DURGA GHAT
69 - BRAHMA GHAT

67 - PANCHGANGA GHAT

63 - JATARA GHAT
62 - RAMA GHAT

52 - KHIRKI GHAT
51 - JALASAYI GHAT

45 - TRIPURA BHAIRAVI GHAT

44 - MANMANDIR GHAT

43 - RAJENDRA PRASAD GHAT

41 - DASASHWAMEDHA GHAT
42 - PRAYAG GHAT
40 - SITLA GHAT

32 - PANDEY GHAT

31 - KHORI GHAT

28 - MANASAROVARA GHAT
27 - SOMESVARA GHAT
26 - CAOWKI GHAT

24 - VIJAYNAGARAM GHAT
23 - LALI GHAT

18 - DANDI GHAT
17 - GULARIA GHAT
16 - SHIVALA GHAT
15 - MAHANIRVANI GHAT
14 - NIRANJANI GHAT

9 - JAIN GHAT
8 - VACCHARAJA GHAT

5 - BHADAINI GHAT

4 - TULSI GHAT

1 - ASSI GHAT

Figure 4.16 - Site plan II

59
 Conclusion
The Ganga Action Plan has not been completely successful so far in part because it is guided by a top-down
planning approach. In this engineering approach, cultural practices, folk beliefs, and local community tradi-
tions are ignored. The multiplicity of stakeholders, widespread encroachment of public land, and ineffective
and inadequate local ordinances are some of the challenges in conserving the Varanasi ghats. Site planning
and management should take into account what is today considered non-essential knowledge—the esoteric
language of myths, hidden meanings of rituals, and sanctity attributed to nature evident in everyday practices—
so that a new culture specific, participatory model for solving complex problems can emerge. This bottoms-up
eco-cultural approach advocates the use of appropriate technology, local materials, and renewable energy
sources. Programs such as vending collaborative and on-site composting will engage the local communities
and improve the local economy. Greening of the west bank embankment and seasonal farming on the east
bank of Ganga and Varana banks are ecologically sensitive land uses. Recycling cremation ashes in the me-
morial grove is an invented cultural tradition for environmental remediation, in keeping with the ethos of sacred
landscape. Amphibian space created in floating platforms responsive to fluctuating water levels and bio-filtra-
tion bathing tanks promote cultural traditions gradually being abandoned. Public spaces reclaimed as peace
plazas and reclaiming surfaces as narrative spaces have the potential for healing communal strife and reviving
urban art folk practices. Heritage conservation can thus become an empowering tool for local communities
and for the visitor an opportunity for spiritual growth.

Bibliography
Chandramouli, K. Kashi—The City Luminous. Rupa & Co., 1995.

Dodson, Michael (ed.) Banaras: Urban Forms and Cultural Histories. Routledge, 2012.

Eck, Diana. Banaras, City of Light. Alfred Knopf, 1982.

Iravati. Rajghat: A Glade of Wisdom and Beauty. Kala Prakashan, 2012.

Jayaswal, Vidula. Ancient Varanasi: An Archaeological Perspective. Aryan Books International, 2009.

Gutschow, Niels. Benaras: The Sacred Landscape of Varanasi. Axel Menges, 2006.

Hertel, Bradley and Cynthia Ann Humes (eds.) Living Banaras: Hindu Religion in Cultural Context. State University
of New York Press, 1993.

Gaenszle, Martin and Jorg Gengnagel (eds.) Visualizing Space in Banaras: Images, Maps, and Practice of Repre-
sentation. Heidelberg Studies in South Asian Rituals, volume 4. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2006.

Lannoy, Richard. Benaras Seen from Within. Indica Books, 1999.

Michell, George and Rana P.B. Singh (eds.) Banaras: The City Revealed. Marg Publications, vol. 57, no. 2, De-
cember 2005.

Jonathan Parkinson and Ole Mark. Urban Stormwater Management in Developing Countries. IWA Publishing,
2006.

Parry, Jonathan. Death in Banaras. Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Singh, Anoop, A.K. Upadhyay, U.K. Choudhary, and J.P. Sonkar, ‘Interrelationship between River Sedimentation
and Meandering: A Case Study of Ganga at Varanasi’, Indian Journal of Research Anvikshika, April 2012.

Singh, Rana P.B. (ed.). Banaras (Varanasi): Cosmic Order, Sacred City, Hindu Traditions. Tara Book Agency, 1993.

Singh, Rana P.B. and Pravin Rana. Banaras Region: A Spiritual and Cultural Guide. Indica Books, 2006.

Singh, Rana P.B., ‘Urban Heritage and Planning in India: A Study of Banaras’, Ashok Dutt et al (eds.) Spatial
Diversity and Dynamics in Resources and Urban Development. Springer 2013, pp. 201-221.

60
PROJECT CREDITS

Department of Landscape Architecture

College of Fine and Applied Arts Site Workshop Participants
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA BNCA College, Pune, India

Faculty Faculty
Amita Sinha Shubhada Kamlapurkar

Students Students
Samuel Baner Tejal Bapat
Elizabeth Barr Prajakta Barhate
Philip Burke Shreerekha Gandu
Austin Chalkey* Karishma Kallbhor
Ya Chen* Saudamini Inamdar
Kathleen Ferrero Anagha Mhatre
Heena Gajjar* Priyanka Lokhande
Xinnan Jiang Renuka Patil
Min Kang Divya Verma
Jiwon Kim Kekti Tendulkar
Qianyu Li Shruti Saitwal
Xiaoying Li* Priyanka Kulkarni
Pongsakorn Suppkittpaisarn*
Matthew Reynolds* Ross Uebergang
Madeline Schuette* Swinburne University, Australia
Xinyue Sui
Jacob Trompler Maansi Saxena
Zhu Ya Yang CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India
Shurui Zhang*

Ting Hsuan Chang* Special Thanks to Professor Rana P.B. Singh,

Justin Vitkus* Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and Ajay Ratan
Bannerjee, Varanasi chapter, Indian National Trust
*Participated in Varanasi Site Workshop, January for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
2014

Graphic Design: Heena Gajjar

Supported by:
Wadsworth Endowment, Department of Landscape Architecture
Campus Research Board; Center for Global Studies, University of Illinois- Urbana Champaign, USA

61
Shiva explains in Kashi Purana “My lingas are
everywhere there, like little sprouts arisen out of
sheer bliss. Thus it is called the Forest of Biss.”
A forest with Shiva lingas as thick as the fresh
sprouts of spring: this is the vision of the sacred
city as the Forest of Bliss, the Anandavana.
-Diana L. Eck, 1982, p. 29

c 2014 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, USA