BanaRas means always ready juice of life

Courtesy : The times of India
VARANASI: The joie de vivre culture of Banaras-- the city where 'always ready' (bana) is the juice of life (ras)-- makes this millennia-old city unique with its rich heritage. But, it has been realised that the cultural and natural heritage of the city is increasingly threatened not only due to the traditional causes of decay, but also by changing social and economic conditions.

"It is believed that the natural setting, the spirit of place, and the continuity of cultural traditions have all blended together to create and preserve a unique lifestyle known as Banarasi," says professor of cultural geography and heritage studies, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Rana PB Singh, who has been working rigorously for the conservation of city's rich heritage. "The lifestyle of Banaras is distinct in nature and referred to as 'Banarasipana'. It is an art of living, both passionate and carefree, both relaxed and concentrated, both intense and free, both traditional and modern- what the Banaras dwellers call masti (joie de vivre), mauj (delight, festivity) and phakarpan (carefree)," he says.

Singh evaluated the city's heritage extensively on the scale of UNESCO World Heritage List and found that it had all the merits to fit in the frame, though city had not yet been proposed for inclusion. The city is unique in the architectural, artistic and religious expressions of traditional Indian culture. According to him, The city has two main historic remnants of a holy past -the first one being Sarnath where Buddha gave his first sermon in 528 BC and the second one being the Rajghat Plateau, where the archaeological findings and the C14 dating of some of the wares excavated from the earliest level confirm the existence of urban settlements in the period during 800-500 BC. Both these sites have been included in the heritage zones identified for the nomination to the UNESCO heritage list.

Symbolically, the flow of the Ganga from south to north refers to the life cycle from death (south, the realm of death (Yama) to life (north, the realm of life, Shiva, Kailash). This unique directional change of the river course led to the development of the ancient city Kashi on the west banks of the river, facing the rising of the sun and making thus the ghats of Varanasi sacred for all Hindu rituals.

The Varanasi Development Authority has already drawn out a Master Development Plan of the City (1991-2011) and has identified heritage zones in the city. The architectural heritage of the city is seriously threatened by immense pressures from increasing population, modernisation, economic development and tourism. The Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) undertook the task of documentation of the vast architectural and intangible cultural heritage of the city and its surrounding region to protect them.

The Ganga and its riverfront and Old City heritage zone satisfy the UNESCO Cultural Heritage criteria. The riverfront ghats cover a length of 6.8km along the crescent-shaped bank of the Ganga from the confluence of Asi in the south to the confluence of the Varuna in the north. This zone falls mainly into the category of groups of buildings, groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science of UNESCO.

The Ganga with its riverfront ghats also fulfils the criteria of 'cultural landscapes' that specifically suggest that cultural landscape retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and in which the evolutionary process is still in progress. Since ancient times, the natural and cultural landscapes of the city have retained an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life. The city is a place of pilgrimage and a holy site for taking sacred baths in the Ganga, to have a good death, to get relief from transmigration, to learn and receive spiritual merit. The city has still maintained its traditions. Varanasi is a living symbol and an expression of Indian culture and traditions in all its religious rituals, multi-ethnic artistic traditions, architectural treasures, ancient educational forms and multi-ethnic population. People from all parts of India speaking different languages and dialects and carrying their own traits, taboos and traditions have settled in this city for solace and peace.

But, today, the heritage is at risk, says Singh. According to him, the heritage zones and properties are at the risk of being irreversibly modified or even destroyed due to immense pressures from tourism, economic development and population pressures which are now threatening the unity and integrity of the cultural landscape and atmosphere, and the urban skyline in these zones. This increasing population is over burdening the carrying capacity of the urban environment and the river eco-system and unplanned mass tourism could potentially have a hard impact on the cultural carrying capacity of the old city centre. The conservation of most heritage properties faces intense pressure. Even if these properties are presently in the same physical conditions as in the last couple of decades and their architectural characteristics are being maintained without many legal and administrative measures, their architectural integrity is now being threatened. In the name of development, old structures are modified or demolished.

Read more: A city where 'always ready' is juice of life - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/A-city-where-always-ready-is-juice-of-life/articleshow/7038075.cms#ixzz17HIIgUnH