Ghats of Varanasi on the Ganga in India

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
List of Illustrations
ABSTRACT................................................. 1
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 2.4 - Cycle of festivals on the ghats
Figure 2.5 - Sensory experience on the ghats
Figure 2.6 - Haptic and Kinesethetic experiences in the streets
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
INTRODUCTION...................................... 3
THE BODY AND LANDSCAPE....................
Mythic landscape............................
Enacted landscape..........................
Historic landscape...........................
5
6
8
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
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 design 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 comprehensive site plans. Site Plan I is a blueprint for an imageable, legible and performative landscape with heritage 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 meaning 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 landscape of this interface—ghats (steps and landings)
lined by temples and other public buildings, pavilions, kunds (tanks), streets and plazas—is layered
and kinetic, and responsive to the river’s flow. At
Varanasi, where the Ganga reverses its flow northwards, 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 enactment of ancient traditions that sustain cultural memories, 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. However as the landscape becomes increasingly stressed
from intensive use and ground and water pollution,
its irreplaceable heritage is being lost. The dilapidation 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 landscape 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 associative 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 reduce 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 heritage and sustains intangible heritage.
The transcendental view of nature in Hinduism underlies the elaborate structure of myths relating to
Ganga, the archetypal divine river and Kashi, the
supreme tirtha. The corpus of beliefs about cosmogony, 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 landscape consisting of 300 meters wide swathe of the
land-water interface, was mapped using Google
Earth, Varanasi city map, Wikimapia, and photographs. This is recommended as the protected heritage zone. The heritage zone should be developed
and managed within an eco-cultural frame work that
addresses environmental pollution and urban degradation. Conservation becomes a tool for reclaiming
public spaces and improving the quality of public
life. The overarching goal of the project is to preserve cultural values by conserving the urban fabric
that is a catalyst as well as a setting for their enactments.
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 facets 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 documented 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 symbol 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 celebrated 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 determined 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 immersive 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 bathing, 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, darkness, 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, making 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 experience 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 documented 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 listening 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 penance 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 bathing 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, resulting from self-organized activities on a very large
scale. The river and its banks are settings of performative rituals, spontaneous and choreographed. They
are mimetic of archetypal acts, enacting mythic and
ancestral memories, and contribute to a living heritage. Shiva and Parvati came down from the Himalayas 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 center, 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 Kedareshvara 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 primordial purusha. The Ganga is conceived as the
kundalini power rising through the lotus chakras in
his spine and Assi and Varana Rivers are nadi channels intermingling with liquid shakti of Ganga. The
highest of the six chakras where enlightenment occurs 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 numinous 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 underworld 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 existences.
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 cosmogram or symbol of universe, charged with positive 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-dimensional built version of Panchkroshi Yatra is the
Panchkroshi Mandir built in the 1870s. In circumambulating the temple, the devotee sees numerous
shrines and deities in niches in the outer wall including 104 visited during the yatra. Varanasi’s auspiciousness 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 signified 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 celebrating 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, rejoicing 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-invented in keeping with the changing socio-economic
times. The festive atmosphere is an uplifting experience 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 (October-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 Mahashivaratri 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, exile and victory over the demon Ravan in Ashvin
(October) at various sites on the Ganga riverbank.
Dusshera and Diwali mark the end of Ramlila coinciding with Navratri, the nine-day festival celebrating 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 Janmashtmi, Hanuman Jayanti, and Ganesh Chautha celebrate 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 Chandra 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 impressions of acoustic, olfactory, or tactile sensations. The
size of hotspots stands for the extent of the stimulation, 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, burning incense, and smoke have the strongest impression 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 feelings 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 spirals 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 leftover 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
H19. Jalasayi Ghat
Ghat
H28. Hanuman Gadi
Ghat
H28. Hanuman Gadi
Ghat
T7. Jain Mandir
T7. Jain Mandir
H1. Ganga Mahal
H10. Vijayanagram Ghat
H2. Building beside Ganga
Mahal
H11. Raja Ghat
T17. Temple at Someshwar
Ghat
T17. Temple at Someshwar
Ghat
T26. Bhutnath Temple
T26. Bhutnath Temple
H3. Tulsi Ghat
H20. Manikarnika Ghat
ika Ghat
H29. Gai Ghat
H29. Gai Ghat
T8. Temple at Nishad Ghat
T8. Temple at Nishad Ghat
T18. Temples at Raja Ghat
T27. Krsna and
Manikarnikavinayaka
Temple
T18. Temples at Raja Ghat
H12. Digpatiya
T27. Krsna and
Manikarnikavinayaka
Temple
H4. Janaki Ghat
H21. Ganga Mahal Ghat
Mahal Ghat
H30. Trilochan Ghat
H30. Trilochan Ghat
T9. Temple at Panchkota
Ghat
T9. Temple at Panchkota
Ghat
T19. Temple at Digpatiya
Ghat
T19. Temple at Digpatiya
Ghat
T28. Tarakeshwara Temple
T28. Tarakeshwara Temple
H5. Chetsingh Palace
H22. Bhonsale Palace
Palace
H31. Nandeshwar Ghat
H31. Nandeshwar Ghat
T10. Temples in Chetsingh
Fort
T10. Temples in Chetsingh
Fort
T20. Temple at Munshi Ghat
T20. Temple at Munshi Ghat
Ghat
H32. Teliyanala Ghat
H32. Teliyanala Ghat
T11. Temples at Niranjan
Ghat
T11. Temples at Niranjan
Ghat
T21. Temples at Ahaliyabai
Ghat
T29. Ratneshwar Temple
T21. Temples at Ahaliyabai
Ghat
hat
H33. Excavations at Raja
Ghat
H33. Excavations at Raja
Ghat
T12. Temple at Shivala
Ghat
T12. Temple at Shivala
Ghat
T22. Temple at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
T30. Durga Temple
T22. Temple at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
T2. Jagannath Temple
Historic
Buildings - H 1 - H 33
T2. Jagannath
Temple
T13. Hanuman Temple Hanuman Ghat
at
Temples - T 1 - T 37
T13. Hanuman Temple Hanuman Ghat
T23. Temples at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
T31. Temples at Panchganga
Ghat
T23. Temples at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
Figure 2.8 - Map of important historic buildings and temples on the ghats.
14
H16. Domraja Palace
T31. Temples at Panchganga
Ghat
H8. Mandakini Ghat
H25. Balaji Ghat
H15. Manmandir
Observatory
T30. Durga Temple
H7. Akhada at Niranjan
Ghat
H24. Rama Ghat
H14. Darbhanga Ghat
T29. Ratneshwar Temple
H6. Maharaja Chetsingh
Fort
H23. Ganesh Ghat
H13. Rana Mahal
H17. Nepali Ghat
T35. Ravidas Temple
T35. Ravidas Temple
H9. Karnatak State Ghat
H18. Lalita Ghat
H19. Jalasayi Ghat
H28. Hanuman Gadi
Ghat
H20. Manikarnika Ghat
H29. Gai Ghat
H21. Ganga Mahal Ghat
T7. Jain Mandir
T17. Temple at Someshwar
Ghat
T26. Bhutnath Temple
T8. Temple at Nishad Ghat
T18. Temples at Raja Ghat
T27. Krsna and
Manikarnikavinayaka
Temple
H30. Trilochan Ghat
T9. Temple at Panchkota
Ghat
T19. Temple at Digpatiya
Ghat
T28. Tarakeshwara Temple
H22. Bhonsale Palace
H31. Nandeshwar Ghat
T10. Temples in Chetsingh
Fort
T20. Temple at Munshi Ghat
T29. Ratneshwar Temple
H23. Ganesh Ghat
H32. Teliyanala Ghat
T11. Temples at Niranjan
Ghat
T21. Temples at Ahaliyabai
Ghat
T30. Durga Temple
H24. Rama Ghat
H33. Excavations at Raja
Ghat
T12. Temple at Shivala
Ghat
T22. Temple at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
T31. Temples at Panchganga
Ghat
H25. Balaji Ghat
T2. Jagannath Temple
T13. Hanuman Temple Hanuman Ghat
T23. Temples at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
T35. Ravidas Temple
H26. Panchganga Ghat
T5. Anandmai Mandir
T15. Temples at
Harishchandra Ghat
T24. Shiva Temples at
Dasashwamedha Ghat
T36. Adi keshava Temple
H27. Lal Ghat
T6. Vachharaja Ghat
T16. Kedareshwar
Temple
T25. Samrajeshwara
Temple
T37. Vishwanath 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 extended 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 Shamsherbahadur of Nepal at Gaya Ghat. Ministers of the Maratha 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 contribute to the iconic view of the Varanasi ghats popular
worldwide.
16
The Hindu temples commemorate acts of cosmogony, sacrifices, and austerities of gods and goddesses. 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 century—their repeated destruction resulted in the oldest
surviving Hindu temples on the ghats to date only
from the eighteenth century. The temples are a significant 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 shikhara 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 goddesses offered on a daily and episodic basis, invigorating memory and renewing values, in the process
generating fluid space. The Ganga and its ghats
become sites of spectacle and performance in a temporal 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 popular 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 building structures, visual clutter of signs and billboards,
and dilapidation. Design regulations of building facades 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 comprehension 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 facilities: 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 visual 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 encourage 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 dignity to the bereaving. Amphibian space is created at
the ghats’ edge through the proposed floating docks
thus augmenting performative spaces. Peace gardens 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
20
Figure 3.7/A - Chet Singh Palace, 1837
Artist - unknown
Courtesy - British Library
Figure 3.9/A - Dasashwamed Ghat, 1883
Photographer - Prasad Babu Jageswar
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
Photogapher - Stanislaw Klimek
Source: Gutschow, 2006
Figure 3.10/A - Kedar ghat, 2000
Photogapher - Stanislaw Klimek
Source: Gutschow, 2006
Figure 3.8/B - Raja ghat, 2014
Figure 3.10/B - Kedar ghat, 2014
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 Prinsep engravings of the Varanasi ghats in the 1830s
depict a picturesque view of the landscape that romanticizes 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 iconography. Color, textures, spires, fenestration, steps, platforms, vegetation, boats, among other elements, are
repeated at irregular intervals and form the unifying
element in a very complex visual structure. The iconic 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 historic 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 comprehensive set of design guidelines for visual management. Historic buildings must be preserved in
accordance with the historic design palette of temple
spires, burjes, chattris, arched doorways and windows, 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. Building 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 builtup 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
19-20|H
Hanuman & Prachina Ghats
33|Sarvesvara Ghat
62|Ram Ghat
67|Pancaagang
anga Ghat
Vernacular Examples:
7-8|Mata Anandami & Vaccharaja Ghats



-





Beni Singh Booksellar, 1911
ELEVATION
75m
73.9m
71.25m
70m
65m
FLOOD LEVEL ELEVATIONS
80m
80m
65m
1
GHATS
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
ELEVATION
75m
73.9m
71.25m
70m
65m
Legend:
GHATS
FLOOD LEVEL ELEVATIONS
80m
65m
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
Walls
Tree Vegetation
Spires
Octagonal Platforms
Figure 3.14 - Architecture vocabulary of ghats
When experiencing the ghats on foot, the proximate
senses are fully engaged but the interpretation of
visual elements is hindered. The visitor on a boat on
the Ganga, away from the hustle and bustle of the
city, has the opportunity to see the panoramic skyline
of the ghats. The skyline holds significant architectural value with its temple spires, fort like palaces
with bastions, protruding balconies, platforms, and
cubicles just above water. The layering of structures
adds depth and serial repletion of forms provides
the unifying thread in the architectural diversity of
the ghats. To identify repeating forms, walls, stairs,
vegetation, platforms and prominent spires on each
the 84 ghats were systematically represented in a
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.
These are aligned with square, rectangular, octagonal, and circular platforms built over well foundations that divide the steps into bays and protect them
from erosion. The platforms are occasionally hollowed out into cubicles that house shrines. Smaller
structures are also built opening into the river--these
are private spaces for bathing and meditation. The
upper floors of mansions are porous with windows,
balconies, and galleries for views of the riverfront.
The steps set up an interesting rhythm especially as
they cascade down from streets and buildings located at higher levels. The riverfront becomes greener
towards the north with unbuilt embankments and
greater tree cover.
23









P




1

P



400m












P
P


2







2




3
P
P



3



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 perpendicular 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, depending 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 1540 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 attractions. It also shows the street network, walking
and boat trails, and significant sites. Heritage trails
proposed on six ghats: Assi Ghat, Kedar Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Panchganga 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
























0M 40M
120M
240M




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 Ganga and Varana. The sites are of immense archaeological and religious significance offering lessons
in both history and myth. On Rajghat Plateau and
further upstream along the Varana were the earliest settlements in the region dating back to 11th
BCE. Excavations in 1940s and 1990s revealed the
growth of rural hamlets at Akatha and Sarai Mohana 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
Their fort was never rebuilt and the city moved southwards but the sacred significance of the site located
on the Panchkroshi pilgrimage circuit did not diminish. Adikeshava Temple was rebuilt at the end of
eighteenth century and other smaller shrines containing linga such as Sangameshvara (god of river confluence) 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.




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

0M 20M
60M
120M






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
Figure 3.18 - Design proposal for Raj ghat
To make the sites more accessible jetties are proposed at Raj Ghat and Adikeshava Ghat for visitors
who choose to visit the sites in boats. A cultural heritage trail with interpretive signage is designed linking
Adikeshava Temple with the proposed Archaeological 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 landscape legibility by identifying ghats clearly and aiding
orientation. Two kinds of signs are proposed: informational and directional. Informational signage
covers public service, caution and educational.
Tourist center, emergency aid, drinking water, hotel,
restaurant and restroom, among others will be displayed as public service signage. Examples of caution signage are no smoking and no littering. Educational signage covers historic buildings, temples,
sacred sites, myths and legends and ritual ceremonies 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.
28
According to one legend the five most sacred ghats
represent different body parts of Lord Vishnu: Assi is
the head; Dashashwamedha is the chest; Manikarnika is the navel; Panchganga is the thighs; and Adikesava 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, Manikarnika as fire, Panchganga as water, and Adikeshava as earth.
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 vibrant 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, Dasashwamedh 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 riverfront. 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 colorful silks to fruits to items used for worship, add to
the chaotic atmosphere of the ghats both visually
and physically. Though the vendor system may seem
overwhelming and even disorienting at times to
newcomers, it promises livelihood to many people.
Stimulating to all of the senses, Varanasi’s commercial landscape offers a compelling experience. Many
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 Dashashwamedh Ghat, a popular tourist destination where
many religious celebrations occur. Standing shops,
often integrated into the lowest level of larger
32
buildings, are set back the furthest from the flow of
pedestrian traffic along the streets leading into the
ghat. These merchants’ locations are more or less
fixed. Carts, items laid out on blankets to be packed
up at the days end, and make-shift tables, all semifixed vendors, are a step closer to the passers-by.
Mobile vendors carry their goods with them, moving
easily with the changing tides of people.
VENDING IN VARANASI
AN INTENTIONAL COMBINATION OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM
PROPOSED
VENDING
LOCATIONS
first aid
Varanasi vendors can be given a purposeful space to occupy and become
trail information an asset to the tourists and pilgrims rather than a point of stress. By providing
maps available small interventions along unused wall
space on the Ghats themselves, ventransportation dors are given a place to display goods
near major channels of foot traffic in-
stead of clogging the narrow lanes, enhancing their visibility in the process. A
proposed coding system (left) for street
vendors increases legibility and identifies tourism resources. This color coding system would be further explained
in tourist maps (below).
water
Water
Transportation
Trail Information
Maps Available
First Aid
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
CODING SYSTEM
TO PROVIDE TOURIST INFORMATION
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
First Aid
Trail Information
Maps Available
Transportation
Water
GHAT VENDING FURNITURE AND KIOSK
The vending kiosk (right)
would provide tourist information and offer a storage
location for the collapsible
stands shown below.
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
First Aid
Trail Information
Maps Available
Transportation
Water
VENDING DETAIL
Water
Transportation
Trail Information
Maps Available
First Aid
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
All of the ghat vending
furniture will be:
Vending along wider lanes and on the
Ghats. Narrow lane commerce limited.
• Made from local materials like reclaimed lumber from boats.
• Flooding resistant.
• Secure
• Close to vending
hotspots.
• Regulated by a vendor
collective.
Wall-mounted folding tables
0m
100m
200m
Collapsible/stackable stand
Garbage ring
GHAT FURNISHINGS IN PLACE
Figure 3.24 - Design proposal for vending on the ghats
Congestion near the steps makes the narrow lanes
leading to the river nearly impossible to successfully
navigate and vendors selling their wares are overlooked when they form makeshift markets made from
tarps and posts. The more mobile vendors should
be given a space to occupy and become an asset
to tourists and pilgrims of Varanasi rather than a
source of stress. Through small interventions along
unused wall space on the ghats themselves, vendors
are given a place to display goods near major channels 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 merchandise. Vendors can use these furnishings by signing up through a vendor collective, being assigned a
table of their choice, and becoming responsible for
the maintenance and security of the table. The furniture 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
that offers tourist maps and assistance to visitors. A
coding system can be outlined in the tourist map to
show travelers where maps, first aid, tour information, or transportation assistance available. When
tourists access this information via vendors they will
perceive them as a resource for their navigation
through the city rather than a source of harassment.
VENDOR TOURIST ASSISTANCE
First Aid
Trail Information
Maps Available
Transportation
Water
33
ASSI GHAT
REST AREA
& AUDIANCE
AARTI
PERFORMENCE
RITUAL AREA
GREEN SPACE
AARTI PERFORMANCE EVERY NIGHT
HOLY BATHING
WORSHIP OF LINGA UNDER TREE
WORSHIP IN MONSOON SEASON
BOAT DOCKING & LARGE SILT AREA
SILT AREA
GANGA RIVER
BOAT DOCKING
FLOATING
BIRDGE & STAGE
STEP &
PLATFORM
BUILDING
DRY SEASON SECTION
MONSOON SEASON SECTION
WATER LEVEL
DIFERANCE 16FT.
WATER LEVEL
DIFFERENCE 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
access from the city. It received the patronage of
Marathas in the 18th-19th c. The Jagannath Temple on the ghat is the replica of Jagannath Temple
in Puri. Below at the footsteps is the linga of Kundodareshvara Shiva under a Pipal Tree. In the aftermath of Assi Nala being diverted a kilometer to the
south in 1980, the Ganga flow has receded from
Assi Ghat, leaving a large exposed silt area. Located
in the south end of the ghat stretch, it has relatively
large open space with potential to be developed.
However, the site is covered by large expanses of silt
extending up to 120 feet from the steps. As a result,
most activities occur on the unstable and uncomfortable 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
Strategies for creating amphibious space including:
redesigning the ghats, inserting a floating stage for
daily performance, and linear floating piers connecting the steps and water edge. The main objective is
to enlarge the performance space and provide boat
docking. The platform size around the temple and
sacred tree is extended. Curvilinear shapes replace
the original acute angle of the steps, thus preventing further silt deposit. A floating stage on the hard
revetments wall extends the stage area for the aarti
performance. In the dry season the stage is supported by the wall, while during the monsoon season, it
floats up with the water level.
Figure 3.26 - Design proposal for performative landscape, Dashashwamedha ghat
The floating dock consists of plywood 10’ x 10’ platforms 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 activities during the dry season and connect the bridges to
the platform when steps are under water in the monsoons. Dycel concrete revetments reinforce the embankment and prevent silt from accumulating on the
ghats. The boats will park along the concrete revetment 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 ceremony in the evenings.
35

Histrorical photos are from www.oldindianphotos.in/.

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
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

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3 
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

1 






Figure 3.27 - Site analysis of Manikarnika ghat
Manikarnika Ghat is the most popular site of cremation where the funeral pyres are never extinguished
with about 28,000 bodies burnt every year. Cremation can be interpreted as the symbolic sacrifice
essential for regenerating the cosmos—the ghat is
therefore the site of recurring dissolution and recreation of the universe. It is associated with both Shiva
and Vishnu, eternally present at the site that is absolute 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. Circumambulation of Varanasi, the Panchkroshi Yatra,
begins with a bath at Manikarnika Ghat.
36
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 photographs of the ghats in 1922 and 1947 show cremation 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 transported by boats is demarcated and movable screens
for privacy are proposed.
C
A

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


C
B
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—Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Kirana, and Dhutpapa and
has been popular among the faithful since the 11th12th 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 Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1673 CE and the imposing 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 constructed 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-November 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 ancestors.
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 Ganga is performed. In the redesign proposal performative space is added by linking the platforms extending 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
Place of Worship
Temple

Communal Violence
Time: Nov. 8, 1991
Death: 15-50
Not permitted to
Image as both
depict the image
embodiment of
of God nor any
gods and gods
prophet.
themselves
Use of Statues and Pictures
Rioting began on Election
Day when the Hindus
allegedly prevented the
Muslims from voting.


God (Allah) is the only god
Monism, Kathenotheism,
and is all-powerful and
Monotheism
omniscient.
Concept of Deity
A constant cycle
of reincarnation
Eternal life in
until moksha
paradise or hell.
is attained.
Views on the Afterlife
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
Hindus




Islam came
to India
Settment in
Varanasi
Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb’s reign
Muslims
320 CE
Construction of
Gupta temple

Weaving
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. Although Islam and Hinduism are antithetical in many
respects, yet inter-faith dialogue can bring out the
common ground and universal message of both religions. In our proposal the ghats are conceptualized
as spaces of negotiation and reconciliation. Peace
garden is proposed as a design prototype for encouraging communication and promoting activities
that lead to greater understanding of shared humanity 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
40

The blast started at the
Sankat Mochan Hanuman
Temple. Hundreds of
pilgrims were in temple
as it was a holy day
devoted to
Hanuman.
800 BC …………
Other

Bombing
Time: Mar. 7, 2006
Death: 28
Injured: 101
900 CE
1193 CE
Demolition of Shri
Kashi Vishwanath
Temple and
Kedara temple
1658 CE
The Muslim armies of
Qutb-ud-din Aibak
destroyed almost 1000
Hindu temples.
Including Temple
of Adi Keshava, the
temple of Konarak,
and Vishwanath
Temple
1767 CE
……
Reign of
Queen
Ahalyabai
Holkar, who
patronized
numerous
Hindu temples
the past, this history should be put into perspective
and read as chronicle of not just conquest and destruction but also harbinger of the hybrid Indo-Islamic culture in music, arts, cuisine, and myriad economic transactions.
In spite of occasional conflicts, residents of Varanasi with different religious backgrounds share an
easygoing life style, marked by bonhomie. Although
a minority forming about a quarter of the population, 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 Temple 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.












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 garden uses traditional Indian weaving patterns, heritage 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 summer and monsoon, flood and drought conditions, inland 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 interface through public sanitation programs and design
prototypes such as non-polluting bathing tanks, compost 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 proposed to reduce the biodegradable waste. Bathing
tanks are designed with bio-filtration basins for decreasing 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 deforestation 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 Varana 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 allowing 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 upland 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 river. 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, occurring now at every five years interval. The highest 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 temples 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 deposition every year. With deforestation in the Himalayan
foothills, sediment loads in the Ganga are increasing. 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 Ganga, 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

13%
Bodhi
Ashoka
Bel
Banyan
Bodhi
Sandalwood
Clay
Clay Loam
Sandy
25% 16%
Ashoka
Bel
Banyan
46%
Sandalwood


Rabi Crops Harvested
13%
Bodhi
25% 16%
Ashoka
J
Bel
Banyan
F
Sandalwood
M
A
13%
25% 16%
Rabi Crops Sown
46%
Monsoon Season
J
M
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sandy Loam
Clay
Clay Loam
Rabi Crops Harvested
Sandy Loam
46%
Clay
Clay Loam
Sandy
Sandy
Clay
Clay Loam
Sandy
Sandy Loam
SandyKharif
LoamCrops
13%
25% 16%
Sown
Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
46%
Monsoon Season
Bodhi
Ashoka
J
Bel
Banyan
F
Wheat
Sandalwood
M
A
Bodhi
Bodhi
Ashoka
Ashoka
Bel
J
Bel
Banyan
F
Banyan
Wheat
Sandalwood
M
A
J
A
J
Sandy
F
M
A
Barley
J
M
Clay
Clay Loam
Mustard
N
Lentil
D
Sesame
Monsoon Season
J
J
A
Pearl
O Millet N
S
25% 16%
46%
Pearl
13% J
Pearl
Millet
Kharif Crops
Mustard
25%
16%
J
F
MMillet
A
S
O
Rabi Crops Sown
Sandy Loam
Kharif Crops Rabi Crops Harvested Kharif Crops
Harvested
Sown
Greengram
Rice
A
D
M
Monsoon Season
Lentil
J
46%J
A
S
O
N
D
Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
Kharif Crops
Sown
Sesame
N
Sesame
Mustard
N
Lentil
D
Monsoon Season
Wheat
O
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
25% 16%
Greengram
Rice 46%
Kharif Crops Rabi Crops Harvested Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
Sown
Greengram
Rice
13%
S
Kharif Crops
Sown
Barley
M
Sandalwood
Rabi Crops Harvested
J
13%
Rabi Crops Harvested

Barley
M
N
Monsoon Season
Wheat
Barley
J
Rabi Crops Harvested
Greengram
F
M
A
A
Barley
Mustard
J
M
Lentil
J
A
J
J
Kharif Crops
Sown
Rabi Crops Harvested
O
Pearl
Millet
Mustard
N
Lentil
D
N
Sesame
Monsoon Season
Barley
M
S
Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
Greengram
Rice
Kharif Crops
Sown
Sesame
Rice
Wheat
J
Wheat
Pearl
MMillet
F
A
S
O
Kharif Crops
Rabi Crops Sown
Harvested
Greengram
Rice
Pearl
Millet
Mustard
N
Lentil
D
N
Sesame
Monsoon Season
Wheat
J
Sandalwood
F
M
A
Barley
J
M
Rabi Crops Harvested
J
13%
F
Wheat
M
Barley
A
J
Kharif Crops
Sown
M
25% 16%
J
S
J
Kharif Crops
Sown
A
Pearl
Millet
S
46%
Rice
Mustard
N
Lentil
D
Rabi Crops Sown
N
Sesame
Mustard
N
Lentil
D
Kharif Crops
Harvested
Pearl
Millet
Greengram
O
Pearl
Millet
N
Sesame
Rice
Barley
O
Kharif Crops
Harvested
Rice
Greengram
Monsoon
Season
Greengram
Wheat
A
Mustard
Lentil
N
Sesame
Figure 4.3 - Mapping of soil and vegetation
J
Kharif Crops
Sown
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 densely built up with the ghats and has only a sparse number of trees struggling for Rabi
survival.
In the northern
Crops Sown
section of the ghats, there is denser vegetation due
Monsoon
SeasonRiver and far fewer building structures.
to the
Varana
Many trees found in this section such as banyan and
J
A
S sacred
O associations.
N
DThe farmland
peepal
trees
have
across the river is located on higher ground. Seasonal farming isKharif
done
on the northern part of the
Crops
Harvested the southern part of the east
west bank and towards
bank where the flood plain soils can support vegetables andPearl
fruits.
Mustard
Lentil
Millet
reengram
46
Rice
Sesame
N
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 opening 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-hardscape local sandstone will be used to construct the
terraces and native trees and grasses will be planted.
N
47



SAHARANPUR
HARDWAR
MUZAFFARNAGAR
MEERUT
NEW DELHI
MATHURA
BAREILLY
ALIGARH
LUCKNOW
AGRA
FIROZABAD
Ga
KANPUR
nga
RAE BARELI
ALLAHBAD
GURGAON-DELHI-MEERUT
FARAKKA
PATNA
ARA
Rive
AGRA
BHAGALPUR
r
BAHARAMPUR
VARANASI
MIRZAPUR
KANPUR
Ga
nga
R
iver
BARDDHAMAN
KOLKATTA
GUJARAT
HALDIA
HUGLI
BHOPAL
yas
yas
Vindh
Vindh
 
(contribute to river pollution in the form of domestic waste)
rice
two predominant crops
wheat
bajra (millet)
cities along Ganga River
cities along Ganga’s tributaries
’

toxic fertilizers and
pesticides used in
surrounding farmland
contribute to Ganga
river pollution
major industrial centers

contributes contamination in the form of
point source pollution
toxic metals dumped
into the river from
manufacturing centers
contribute
to Ganga river pollution
heavy metalsand air pollution


sewage treatment plants
BOD before:
BOD after:
5-8 mg/L
20-50 mg/L
servicing the city of Varanasi:
water pollution levels
before and after passing through
the city of Varanasi
Dinapur
sewage treatment plant
the permissible limit
of BOD for bathing
is

requires inputs of fertilizer and pesticides
less than 3 mg/L.
Water Pumping Station- Gola Ghat
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.
Even without the waste of the
city, the Ganga is too polluted
for any rituals or human
activity.
Water Pumping Station- Jalasen Ghat
Water Pumping Station- Dr. Rajendra Prasad Ghat
Water Pumping Station- Pampuwa Ghat
DLW Complex
sewage treatment plant
Bhagwanpur
sewage treatment plant
3 mg/L
BOD
before
treatment
BOD
after
treatment
BOD
before
treatment
BOD
after
treatment
BOD
before
treatment
BOD
after
treatment
A 2001 study by India’s Central Pollution Control Board found that
two of the three STPs in Varanasi are operating
over capacity.
BOD
safe level
Dinapur
DLW Complex
This water, though improved, is still far
above safe BOD levels for human contact.
19 mg/L
28 mg/L

10.5 mg/L

 (BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen in a body of water needed by microorganisms in
to decompose organic matter. It is a measure of the degree of pollution in a given
 order
ecosystem.
STPs in Varanasi discharge treated wastewater
directly into the Ganga.
ritual activities, including cremation
cutting of haircontribute to pollution in the
Ganges, along with materials used for
offerings


and
and
daily activities, including laundering
eatingcontribute to pollution in the Ganges, along with
large quantities of trash
non-biodegradable waste on
the ghats of Varanasi:
plastic bags
food packaging
soap from those
bathing along the
shore
colorful aluminum foil
papers used during
ritual celebrations
animal waste
lumber from old boats
and structures
detergent from those
laundering along the
shore
biodegradable and recyclable
waste on the ghats of Varanasi:
food waste
clay pots from chai,
offerings, and other
food items
flower offerings
bodies and animal
carcasses
Figure 4.5 - Analysis of sources of pollution in ganga
The ghats are littered with rubbish and it is not uncommon to stumble into rotting piles of offerings.
Some of this waste finds its way into the Ganga,
littering the shoreline and bobbing along with the
current. Occasionally the horrifying sight of a floating half-cremated body can be seen. This calls into
question the purifying powers of the holy river. Although industrial waste from the upper Ganga basin
in Uttar Pradesh can account for some of the contamination of the Ganga, Varanasi city contributes to
350 million liters of sewage each day. Sewage and
domestic waste drains into the river with only about
one third of it processed by sanitary treatment facilities. 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
Ritual offerings and the plastic bags they are carried
in, washing of clothes and bodies, animal waste,
7000 tonnes of ash released from about 88 cremations every day and 300 tonnes of charred human
flesh have made the Ganga unhealthy. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste products generated on the ghats should be properly disposed of in
an effort to reduce the amount of waste entering the
river. Without urgent measures to mitigate pollution this cultural, natural, and spiritual resource will
threaten the safety of those who interact with it.
GHAT WASTE RECEPTICLES
PROPOSED
COMPOSTING
LOCATIONS
ht
COMPOSTING IN VARANASI
COMPOSTING INtransforming
VARANASIwaste into viable fertilizer
transforming waste into viable fertilizer
PROPOSED
COMPOSTING
LOCATIONS
OVERVIEW
GHAT WASTE RECEPTICLES
PROPOSED
GHAT WASTE RECEPTICLES
COMPOSTING
LOCATIONS
Overflow
compost
moved via
boat to waste
centers.
Overflow
compost
moved via
boat to waste
centers.
OVERVIEW
T
Tumblers built
Tumblers built from reclaimed materials
On-ghat compost tumblers.
Overflow
compost
moved via
boat to waste
centers.
On-ghat compost tumblers.
On-ghat compost tumblers.
COMPOSTING INPUTS
THE COMPOST SYSTEM
COMPOSTING INPUTS
Implementing a compost program in VaNITROGEN WASTE
OTHER ADDITIVES
ash (for odor)
Implementing a compost program in Va- ti
ranasi
a productive
use for the bio- G
THEoffers
COMPOST
SYSTEM
Implementing waste
a compost
program inpolluting
Va- tion would
so
degradable
currently
thehapp
ranasi offers a productive use for the bio- Ghats themselv
e
Ghats.
Ritual
animal
waste,
tion would happen
at two scales:
onofferings,
the
waste ma
degradable
waste
currently
polluting
the solid
Ghats themselves
and
as
part
of and
aofferings,
larger
of overflo
Ghats.
Ritual
animal
waste, event mac
food
scraps
other
compostable
solid waste management
system
the compostable ma- composting.
food scraps
andinother
terials
rot
on the
steps, but it is possible
event of overflow from
terialsthe
rotsmaller
on thescale
steps, but it is possible
T
The site-specific
composting. forforthis
be transformed
into a
this refuse
refuse to to
be transformed
into a
lize landings lia
productive
growing
medium.
growing
The site-specificproductive
composting would
uti- medium.
gardens, and p
g
lize landings as miniature
community
The components
shown on this board ceptacles, and
c
The
components
shown
thispoints
board
gardens, and place
tumblers,
waste re- to
along the
would
be introduced
create aon
viable
ceptacles, and rolling
bins at system.
strategicCompost produccomposting
would
be introduced
to create a viable p
points along the 7-kilometer stretch.
composting system. Compost produc-
COMPOSTING INPUTS
THE COMPOST
NITROGEN
WASTE SYSTEM
CARBON WASTEranasi offers a productive use for the biocurrently polluting the
CARBONwaste
WASTE
NITROGEN WASTE
woodchipsdegradable
Ghats. Ritual
offerings, animal waste,
woodchips
sawdustfood scraps and
sawdust
other compostable maCARBON WASTE
vegetables
vegetables
cotton
woodchips
steps, but it is possible
cottonterials rot on the
fruit
silkrefuse
(sari fabric)
sawdust
for this
to be transformed
into a
fruit
OTHER
vegetables silk
(sariADDITIVES
fabric)productive growing
food scraps
papermedium.
cotton
OTHER ADDITIVES fruit
scraps marigolds
ritualfood
baskets
silk (sari fabric)
paper
shown on this
food scraps
holy board
basil
ash (for odor)The components
shells
paper
marigolds
ritual
baskets
would be introduced to create a viable
marigolds
ritual baskets
Compost producholy basil
ash
shellscomposting
holy basil
shells(for odor)
GHAT TUMBLERS
& system.
COMPOST GARDENS
GHAT TUMBLERS &
GHAT
COMPOST GARDENS
TUMBLERS &
COMPOST GARDENS
RANA PRATAP GHAT
- Precedent
RANA PRATAP
- Pre
RANA P
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
GHAT GARDENS - Section
Potted plants provide another use
for compost.
GHAT GARDENS - Section
0m
0m
100m
200m
100m
200m
https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosncisous-oar-boys-created-an-example-on-ghats-of-varanasi/
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
Implementing a compost program in Varanasi offers
a productive use for biodegradable waste currently
point source pollution for the Ganga. Ritual offerings, animal waste, food scraps and other compostable materials rot on the steps when they could
be transformed into a productive growing medium.
In the proposed system compost production would
happen at two scales: at a smaller scale on the
ghats themselves and as part of a larger solid waste
management system. Site furnishings for composting
include waste receptacles that sort garbage, recyclables, and compost materials, a well as compost bins,
compost tumblers, and solid-waste transport boats
that collect the sorted waste and take it to the solid
waste management center on the north and east
banks. The waste management center would handle
garbage incineration, recycling, and compost production for nearby fields. The site-specific composting would utilize landings as miniature community
gardens, and place tumblers, waste receptacles, and
rolling bins at strategic points along the ghat stretch.
https://swamanthan.wordpress.com/2014/02/15/how-young-socially-cosncisous-oar-boys-created-an-example-on-ghats-of-varanasi/
A precedent for community members reclaiming
ghat space for plant production exists already on the
Rana Pratap Ghat. The compost gardens would be
similarly socially engaged involving local community
members.
Compost site furnishings must be made from local
materials. The tumbler barrels can be reclaimed from
nearby industrial plants. Wooden frames to house
trash bags, bins, and the tumblers themselves can be
made from recycled lumber from old boats. The low,
stacked-brick growing beds like those on the Rana
Pratap Ghat garden can withstand flooding if properly constructed and filled in with new soil at the beginning of each new season. Tumblers, bins, frames
and trash bags, on the other hand, are all sufficiently
mobile to be moved during the monsoon. With the
proper utilization of local materials, education, and
community engagement, composting can be a community resource and a long-term sustainable solution
for waste management.
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 octagonal platforms improve the water quality by pumping
and releasing clean water from and to the Ganga.
This ensures that the Ganga is not further contaminated, 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 sacred 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.
50
N
BATHING TANKS ALONG GANGA
DASHASHWAMEDH GHAT
• ACCESSIBLE
ROOF
• P R I V A T E
B AT H I N G
A R E A
• FILTRATION SYSTEM TO
AND FROM BATHING TANK
• SUPPORT PILINGS
• E X I S T I N G
STEPS REMAIN
UNCHANGED
SECTION ALONG GHATS
• WAT E R
FROM
GANGA
RIVER
MASSING DIAGRAM
• PRE-TREATMENT_
SETTLING BASIN
• T R E A T M E N T _
SANDFILTRATION
• WATER PUMPED
VERTICALLY INTO
BATHING TANK
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
2014
Historic Data Boundary LIne
1 km
Historic Data Boundary LIne
1 km
Historic Data Boundary LIne
1 km
EXISTING WATER BODIES & OPEN SPACE
IDENTIFIED SOURCES OF GROUNDWATER & RIVER CONTAMINATION
Heritage Water Body
Unidentified Water Body
Sewage Treatment Plant
Built Over Water Body
Community Dumping Area
Agriculture
Inner City Dump GW Test Sites
Park
Direct Discharge Sites
Road
Rail
Road
Rail
1 km
1 km
Figure 4.9 - Site analysis of ground water contamination
There is an acute shortage of water in Varanasi because 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 municipal facilities far beyond their functioning capacities, 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
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 unintentionally providing a natural groundwater recharge
and filtration system for the city. As Varanasi expanded, these water bodies were encroached upon,
depleted for drinking and irrigation water as well as
filled in for urban development. The present situation 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 quality 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
H2O INFILTRATION
H2O INFILTRATION
OIL BEARING CROPS:
H2O INFILTRATION
HEAVY METAL SEQUESTRATION
DEEP MIXED EMERGENT MARSH
VARUNA RIVER
HORIZONTAL H2O FILTRATION
H2O INFILTRATION
a
KACHHA BAGH
VARUNA RIVER
a'
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT/
FILTRATION NETWORK:
OPEN WATERBODIES &
CONNECTING GREENWAYS
MODIFY AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND ESTABLISH
RIPARIAN BUFFER ALONG VARUNA
IMAGE SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS
IMAGE SOURCE: FLICKR.COM
SUB-GRADE
INFILTRATION
TRENCH
RECLAIM INTERSTITIAL URBAN VOIDS AND
REMEDIATE POLLUTED WATERBODIES
b
b'
RECLAIMED
PUBLIC
SPACE
GREENWAY
WASTEWATER DISCHARGE
SITE INTO GANGA
RECLAIMED
WATERBODY
nts
OIL
BEARIING
CROPS
LIMIT AMOUNT OF UNTREATED WASTEWATER
ENTERING RIVERS AND OPEN WATERBODIES
b'
FLOODPLAIN
PROTECTION
ZONE
b
RETENTION
PONDS
CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
RECREATION AREA
-OBSERVATION TOWERS
-TRAILS
a'
STUDENT PHOTO
a
LIMESTONE
LINED CELL
WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY
heritage water body
55m
0m
220m
110m
COMMUNITY PARK WITH
OIL BEARING CROP
FIELDS TO SEQUESTER
HEAVY METALS
unidentified water body
proposed green
network
existing park
contaminated site
oil crop agriculture
20m
0m
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
& CONNECTING TRAIL
80m
40m
Figure 4.10 - Varuna rivershed reclamatio plan
The main objectives for the Varana Action plan are:
1. Reclaim interstitial urban voids and remediate
existing polluted water bodies into a green and blue
network to generate a rediscovered public domain.
2. Limit the amount of untreated wastewater directly
entering the rivers and open water bodies.
3. Modify current agricultural practices along the
Varuna River to establish a riparian buffer corridor
and utilize oil-bearing crops to sequester heavy metals in the soil and avoid public consumption of crops
laden with toxins.
The site design includes a connected system of passive stormwater management strategies: subterranean infiltration trenches, greenways, and a waste
water treatment recreation area comprised of retention ponds for settling and a constructed wetland
organized specifically for treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals and sewage. The large former community dumping area will serve as a potential space for a waste management facility as well as
a site of extensive phytoremediation. This recreation
area will connect the currently underappreciated archaeological 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 season. 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 reintroduce 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
25m
KURUKSHETRA POKHRA
Heritage route proposal: REORGANIZATION
Heritage route proposal: REORGANIZATION
Heritage route proposal: REORGANIZATION
HKAR TALAB
Extreme
monsoon
case
Inland water system proposal: REINTRODUCTION
Inland water system proposal: REINTRODUCTION
Street
DURGA KUND
Railway Station Road
KURUKSHETRA POKHRA
25m
KURUKSHETRA POKHRA
25m
S
Street + Basin
KURUKSHETRA POKHRA
Dry
10m
Dry
Dry
SI
PUSHKAR TALAB
NALA ASSI
PUSHKAR TALAB
NALA ASSI
PUSHKAR TALAB
10m
Railway Station Road
Railway10m
Station Road
10m
Dry
Dry
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Street section proposal: CHANGE
IN VERTICAL
NALA ASSI
bank
Vertical
bank
Buildings
New heritage route
Nala
Assi
Nala
Dry
PUSHKAR TALAB
Extreme
monsoon
Extreme
case
monsoon
case
100m
100m
New heritage route
New Vertical
heritage
route
Assi
Buffer
Extreme
monsoon
case
Extreme
monsoon
Extreme
case
monsoon
case
Railway Station Road
Extreme
monsoon
case
00m
Buildings
Dry
Street + Basin
Street
DURGA KUND
DURGA KUND
Inland
100m
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Extreme
monsoon
case
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Visiting sites
bank
Buffer
bank
Street section proposal: CHANGE IN VERTICAL
Street section Lanka-Godaulia
proposal:Road
CHANGE IN VERTICAL
Visiting sites
oon season water level
Normal water level
Vertical
bank
Assi
Nala
Durga Kund
Buffer
bank
Visiting sites
Anand park
Kurukshetra pokhra
Street section proposal: CHANGE IN VERTICAL
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Monsoon season water level
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road
Dum Rao Park
Normal water level
Monsoon season water level
Kurukshetra pokhra
Normal water level
Kurukshetra pokhra
Durga Kund
New park
Pushkar Kund
Anand
park
Durga Kund
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Anand park
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road
Dum Rao Park
100m
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road
Assi Nala
Dum Rao Park
New park
Monsoon season water level
Pushkar Kund
New park
Normal water level
Pushkar Kund
Kurukshetra pokhra
New heritage route
Durga Kund
Anand park
Buildings
New heritage route
New heritage route
Vertical
bank
Assi
Nala
Buffer
bank
Assi Nala
Assi Nala
Lanka-Godaulia Road
Visiting sites
Stree
Durgakunt (by Pass) - Railway Station Road
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

FLUVIAL PROCESS
PATTERN
hight deposition
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 shoreline. 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 process 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.
56
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 usable. Sand dredged from the shoreline can be used to
fill the low-lying area below the farmland where a memorial grove is proposed. Sand dredging will increase
the width of the Ganga flow by 300 meters and lessen 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.
SEASONAL FARMS+PUBLIC SPACES
PUBLIC SPACES+VIEWING
BIOFILTERS+FARMS
CROSS SECTION
PROCESS+LANDFORM
memorial grove
Dredging_
increase river width
High Deposition_
forest+public spaces
Medium Deposition_
seasonal farms
Figure 4.14 - Site design proposal for east bank development
Low land basins_
biofilters
Sand+Bacteria_
trails
Flooding condition
57
East Bank
current conditions at Manikarnika Ghat
Ganga
TYPES
TREES
USED
THE
MEMORIAL
GROVE
TYPES
OFOF
TREES
TOTO
BEBE
USED
ININ
THE
MEMORIAL
GROVE

neem tree
mango tree
proposed line of fill
banyan tree
existing level

Memorial
Grove
*approximate number of bodies cremated
daily in Varanasi



ber tree
pipal tree
*approximate weight of the ashes of a single
proposed line of fill
cremated body
existing level
proposed line of fill
alternatively, cremated ashes
and compostable materials
can be used to fertilize soil
that helps trees grow
topsoil rich with
composted material
these memorial groves can
serve as places of worship,
remembrance, good health,
and educational centers
that teach the importance
of green space and wildlife
habitats
subsoils with cremated
ashes incorporated
proposed line of fill
existing level
bedrock
compost education
&
ritual activity
Figure 4.15 - Design proposal for memorial grove on the east bank
Approximately 300-400 bodies are cremated every day on the banks of the Ganga. The ashes of
a cremated body weigh roughly between 1.8 and
2.7 kilograms, or 4-6 pounds. Each day, as these
bodies are cremated at ghats such as Manikarnika,
a startling amount of ashes accumulates (between
544 and 1088 kilograms, or 1200-2400 pounds)
at these sites, and much of it is dumped in the Ganga. Though intended as a positive spiritual act to
ensure the soul’s passage into heaven, these ashes
are contributing to the Ganga’s unbelievable levels
of pollution. To reduce the pollution the concept of
the East Bank Memorial Grove where ashes would be
preserved was developed. The soil construction of the
Memorial Grove applies the Biourn system at a much
larger scale. Biourns are composed of two layers of
soil- one upper organic layer housing tree seeds and
a second layer that incorporates cremated ashes of
loved ones. These layers are encased in a biodegradable “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
TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE
cremated ash layer
proposed line of fill
existing level
proposed
proposed
lineofoffillfillline of fill
proposed
line
existing
level
existinglevel
level
existing
proposed line of fill
existing level
TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE
soil nutrient layer
TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE
*approximate amount of ashes produced daily
at Varanasi’s cremationproposed
ghats line of fill
existing level
TYPES OF TREES TO BE USED IN THE MEMORIAL GROVE
existing level
The idea of the Memorial Grove system is to use
composted materials in topsoil to create a suitable
environment for seeds to germinate, and then penetrate the deeper ash layer of soil as the roots grow.
Because the Grove lies in a low-lying area of the
East Bank, sediment fill from the shoreline into this
area is proposed along with the planting of several banyan trees in order to stabilize the area and
help it withstand flooding. The Memorial Grove
design incorporates a series of elevated platforms
and walkways created from recycled wood. These
large platforms allow for various activities including
prayer, rituals, picnicking, and other recreational
activities. These platforms act as openings in the
grove, and are in the vicinity of one large memorial
tree and a few smaller trees, or a small grouping
of three memorial trees. The East Bank Memorial
Grove is a site for remembrance, spirituality, recreation, and education.

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 traditions 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 memorial 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-filtration 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.
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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
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
Site Workshop Participants
BNCA College, Pune, India
Faculty
Amita Sinha
Faculty
Shubhada Kamlapurkar
Students
Samuel Baner
Elizabeth Barr
Philip Burke
Austin Chalkey*
Ya Chen*
Kathleen Ferrero
Heena Gajjar*
Xinnan Jiang
Min Kang
Jiwon Kim
Qianyu Li
Xiaoying Li*
Pongsakorn Suppkittpaisarn*
Matthew Reynolds*
Madeline Schuette*
Xinyue Sui
Jacob Trompler
Zhu Ya Yang
Shurui Zhang*
Students
Tejal Bapat
Prajakta Barhate
Shreerekha Gandu
Karishma Kallbhor
Saudamini Inamdar
Anagha Mhatre
Priyanka Lokhande
Renuka Patil
Divya Verma
Kekti Tendulkar
Shruti Saitwal
Priyanka Kulkarni
Ting Hsuan Chang*
Justin Vitkus*
Special Thanks to Professor Rana P.B. Singh,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and Ajay Ratan
Bannerjee, Varanasi chapter, Indian National Trust
for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
*Participated in Varanasi Site Workshop, January
2014
Ross Uebergang
Swinburne University, Australia
Maansi Saxena
CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India
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