With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on the cleaning of the ghats of Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, changes are slowly becoming visible in some of the important ghats, particularly the famous Assi ghat. Though cleaning all the 100 ghats is a slow process, tonnes of mud have been removed from the Assi ghat to reclaim the steps on the banks of the river.
The ghat is now the venue of a unique cultural and spiritual event — Subah-e-Banaras — that draws large numbers of visitors every morning. “It was on November 24 last year that Subah-e-Banaras was started ...Within three months, this amalgamation of culture, music and yoga has now become an integral part of the itinerary of every tourist visiting Varanasi,” Pramod Mishra, convener of the Nagrik Samiti that organises the event every day, told The Hindu .
The day at the Assi ghat begins at 4.30 a.m. with an aarti to the Sun, followed by ‘yagna,’ recitation of the Vedas and morning ‘ragas’, and ends with a yoga session at 7.30 a.m. “This event has given a platform to upcoming artists from across India who perform every morning ... Foreigners who are studying music in Varanasi also perform at Subah-e-Banaras . Apart from the world-famous Ganga aarti on these ghats, the morning programmes have also become an important event of this cultural city,” Mr. Mishra said.
The Prime Minister’s Office is personally monitoring the cleaning and Mr. Modi had visited Varanasi on December 25 to oversee the first phase of the cleaning of the Assi ghat.
Bindeshwar Pathak, head of Sulabh International, the organisation responsible for cleaning the Assi ghat, said: “We were approached by the district administration to help in cleaning of the Assi ghat ... We have completed over 75 per cent of the work and soon the entire ghat will be cleaned. A modern toilet complex will also be ready. Mr. Modi is eager to see the ghats of Varanasi being transformed forever.”
