Varanasi City

Varanasi, Kashi, Benares. This city with three names is among the oldest living cities in the world. Varanasi is the city that grew along the banks of River Ganga in the stretch between the Assi and Varuna Rivers. A spiritual city called Kashi in the scriptures and widely known as Benares, the city was renamed as Varanasi after India gained independence. The city is a centre for religion, history, culture and learning.

To the people of Hindu faith, the ‘spiritual city’ known as Kashi lives in a permanent state of purity, where the jyotirlinga or column of light joins heaven to earth. It is known as the city of the Hindu God Shiva. Kashi is seen as the ford across samsara, the river of life. To the Hindu, the ultimate guarantee of moksha or salvation comes from dying in Kashi.

The river flows some 2,500 km from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges Basin is inhabited by nearly 400 million people, making it the most populous river basin in the world. The basin measures about 1 million square kilometres and has a mean annual flow of over 400,000 million cubic kilometres. It includes part of the territories of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Tibet.

The 7km stretch through Varanasi is the only part of this journey where the river turns back towards Her source. Here Ganga is known as Gangamaiyya, Mother, Goddess who nourishes the very soul of Kashi, nurturing its life and gathering up its dead. It is said that the river fell in love with the city and nearly turned back here. The half loop northwards creates the curved bank where the ghats stand today. The flood plain on the opposite bank of Ganga has never been inhabited and stays as a sandy waste, used for growing watermelons during the dry season.

To Hindus (the main religious group in India) the Ganges River has special significance for religious rites. Every day more than 60,00 people come to bathe and pray in the river along the religious bathing areas in Varanasi. They sip Ganga Jal (water) as an act of religious purification. Hindus believe that if their ashes are placed in the river after cremation that they will go to Nirvana (Heaven).

· About 80% of the pollution of River Ganga in Benares is caused by sewage. Sewage flows untreated into the religious bathing areas through many overflows and leaks.

· The disposal of human and animal bodies into the river has drawn much attention from tourists and pilgrims. Many people cannot afford the cost of cremation. However this pollution source has less severe impacts than the huge volume of sewage.

· In addition there are many other minor non-point sources of pollution such as:

· People using soaps and detergents for washing (many homes have no running water) ,

· Public education through specially designed, culturally consistent programs including plays, concerts, debates, painting competition and conventions etc.

· River water quality monitoring through the Swatcha Ganga Research Laboratory at Tulsi Ghat. The SGRL was established in 1992 with support from Swedish Nature Foundation (SNF).

· Preparing and proposing appropriate technology and suitable alternatives for waste water interception and treatment of sewage in Varanasi using Advanced Integrated Wastewater Ponding System (AIWPS) – supported by Friends of the Ganges USA and USAID.

· Establishing the Swatcha Ganga Environmental Education Centre at Tulsi Ghat, in partnership with Oz GREEN Australia. Activities of SGEEC include

· Health and environmental programs in villages – village environmental action planning

· Installation of clean drinking water sources in villages affected by sewage effluent.

· Web magazine (Ezine) to create global awareness about environmental issues especially those pertaining to Ganga – supported by Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) – www.cleanganga.com

· Creating a workforce of volunteers to work along the religious bathing areas (ghats), cleaning garbage and flower garlands and persuading people from pollution causing habits such as washing clothes, dumping garbage and toileting on the ghats – supported by Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).

· Swatcha Ganga Chattra Sangam Report, January 2002 (Clean Ganga Student Congress)

· Swatcha Ganga Ghat Purohit Sangam Report, February 2002 (Clean Ganga River Priests Congress)

Sankat Mochan Foundation – Swatcha Ganga Campaign website: www.cleanganga.com Channel Nine – “60 Minutes” program, April 1997 “River Keepers”

Information Sheet (environmental issues)

E5 - Ganges River, Varanasi