The Sacred Waters ‘of’ Varanasi: The Colonial Draining and Heritage Ecology

This book on urban water bodies, catchment areas and drainage pattern is set against the backdrop of the unprecedented heavy rainfall that severely deluged metropolitan cities and other parts of India in recent years. The recurring natural catastrophes in water-stressed cities of India and alarming rate of diminishing water bodies, wetlands and catchment areas needs a re-visit to an entire urban water-cycle. This book, thus, discusses how the processes and implementation of colo­nial urban development policies and projects have radically transformed the water bodies and their catchment areas – traditional water holding systems of Varanasi city. In this imperative colonial process, through the case study of Varanasi, this book mainly engages with the reasons behind the elimination of the temple tanks and ponds after the annex­ation of Varanasi by the British from 1775 till 1947. The book inves­tigates the colonial notion of ‘dry city’, and how this notion crafted the process of separating land and water bodies, which arguably resulted in the reclamation and draining of water bodies, and also gave rise to water pollution. Additionally, the book analyzes the elimination of water bodies and loss of catchment areas through the ongoing processes of restoring the?ancient?city’s?natural?and?cultural?heritage. About the Author Mahesh Gogate is an affiliated researcher at Kyoto University, Japan and studying the dynamic and fluid topography of Varanasi city, India. Before going the academia, he worked in a software industry, and also spent?many?years?working?as?a?research?associate.