Case Study of BANARAS

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Case Study of BANARAS
Banaras (also Varanasi) is located in the north
Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and extends
latitude 2520' N and longitude 8300' E.
Sandwiched between the rivers Varuna and Ashi as
they join the Ganges, Banaras takes its name
from its location. It is also called Kashi, the
city of light, but the British, in an endeavour
to simplify matters, had coined their own name
for the place - Banaras. For a relatively short
period, while under Mughal rule, Banaras was also
known as Muhammadabad. Modern-day Banaras is
situated along the west bank of the Ganges (also
Ganga). An important fact about Banaras is that
here Ganga flows in north direction whereas in
all other parts of the country it flows in the
south direction. There are about 240 Ganga Ghats
in Banaras. These Ganga Ghats at Varanasi are
full of pilgrims who flock to the place to take
a dip in the holy Ganges, which is believed to
absolve one from all sins.
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Ganga Ghats in Banaras
1. Dasaswamedha Ghat- Dasaswamedha Ghat is one
of the most important Ghats of Varanasi. This is
the main bathing ghat in town, so it can be
extremely crowded. The area around this ghat is
the main center of activity in the city,
especially for pilgrims and tourists. This ghat
is full of pilgrims bathing in the holy Ganges.
It is said that Lord Brahma performed a Ten
Horse Sacrifice here for king Divodasa. Das means
ten, aswa means horse, and medha means
sacrifice. It is said that bathing here gives
the same merits as received by doing the ten
horse sacrifice that were performed here. On
certain auspicious days up to 200,000 pilgrims
may take bath here. Right next to this ghat
there is the Shitala Temple, which is dedicated
to the goddess that protects against smallpox.
Inspite of such great importance people release
polythene bags, soaps, detergents and many
other harmful things into the river.
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2. Narad Ghat - Narad Ghat is the most
unpopular ghat because of superstitious people.
According to them if someone bathe in this ghat
then he and his family would have to experience
lot of difficulties and failure, and if a
couple would bathe then they would get divorced
just because once 'Narad Muniji' bathed in it.
As a result they intentionally polluted this
ghat by dumping all the garbage in it so that no
one could bathe in it.
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3. Harishchandra Ghat - Dead bodies are brought
here for cremation. Bodies are brought from
thousands of kilometres away to be burned here.
This ghat is named after King Harishchandra,
who is said to have had to work as a Dom
(caretaker of the crematorium) in order to keep
his word. King Harishchandra was famous for
never refusing a guest and never telling a lie.
He was a worshiper of Brahma. Indra told Brahma
that he believed that Harishchandras devotion
was not as strong as he made it appear to be. So
in order to prove that it was, Brahma disguised
himself as a Brahmin priest and asked the king
for his entire kingdom. Harishchandra gave it.
In order to give the priest payment (daksin) for
performing some rituals the king became a worker
at the crematorium at this ghat. His wife was
sold to a seller of flowers. When his son died
of a snakebite his wife brought him to the
burning ghat where her husband was working.
Because she had no money to pay the cremation
fee, she ripped her sari in half to pay the fee.
Brahma then restored the son back to life and
gave the king back his kingdom. He also told
Harishchandra that this ghat would be especially
sacred and that it would be named after him.
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4. Manikarnika Ghat - Manikarnika Ghat one of
the oldest and most sacred in Varanasi,
Manikarnika is the main burning ghat and one of
most auspicious places that a Hindu can be
cremated. Bodies are handled by outcasts known
as doms, and they are carried through alleyways
of the old city to the holy Ganges on a bamboo
stretcher swathed in cloth. The corpse is
doused in the Ganges prior to cremation. We can
see huge piles of firewood stacked along the top
of the ghat, each log carefully weighed on
giant scales so that the price of cremation can
be calculated. In the name of cremation water
of both these ghats are destroyed. The dead
bodies of children are thrown in them.
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5. Shivala Ghat - Shivala Ghat, a ghat built by
King Balwant Singh, owed most significant role
during the medieval period and is believed to be
a sacred place to have a holy dip. The Shivala
Ghat, as the name suggests, is a religiously
important Ghat with a presiding deity of Lord
Shiva. Ignoring its importance people drain
sewage waste at this ghat.
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• Some daily activities responsible for polluted
  ghats and Gangaji are -
• Washing of clothes - Washermen
• wash
  clothes
• near ghats although they had to
• experience beating from the policemen
• everyday because their demand of some
• other place for washing clothes is not
• fulfilled by the government.

2. Bathing of animals - Animals like
buffaloes, cows,
donkeys etc bathe in these ghats and release
excretory waste products in it. Some animals
get drowned in the river, which is very
harmful for human beings.
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3. Household activities - People of
nearby localities
use river water for all household activities
like washing utensils and clothes, bathing
etc.This is a part of daily routine of
people,nothing is done by administration to
check all these activities
4. Sewage - The in the sewage plant is release
sewage dump of the city after treatment eased
in the river which is also very harmful as it
may contain some harmful chemicals. Their Are
sewage drains near shivala , Harishchandra,Mankarn
ika ghat.One of big drains is assi nala.Waste
water after treatmaent through a plant is flown
into the Ganga.
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Some undesirable facts about Ganga - . The
level of Ganga is decreasing day by day in
Uttar Pradesh. . In a duration of one year the
level has decreased by 2.5 ft in Varanasi.
Some data regarding level of water of Ganga for
some districts near Banaras. City
2009 2010 2011
Mirzapur 76.290m 76.180m
76.330m Rajghat 58.660m 57.880m
63.470m Gazipur 52.425m 51.840m
----------- . All the big and small dams like
tehri are obstructing flow of river water. This
is making the water of Ganga stagnant which
results in more pollution.
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CONCLUSION
We the 'new generation' should take a pledge to
protect our holy and national river so that it
can continue to shower its pavitrata on us by
making people aware of the dangers they are
causing.
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This is Ganga our mother. Why are you
murdering her ? Stop this ! And try to return
back her beauty, her shine .