Varanasi - Modern History

Modern History

The two sects in Hinduism, Vaishnavism and Shaivism continued to co-exist in harmony and Varanasi was also chosen by Mrs. Annie Besant as the centre for her Theosophical Society . At the beginning of the twentieth century, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya instituted Benares Hindu University, the biggest university in Asia. After India s independence in 1947, Varanasi became part of the state of Uttar Pradesh. It continued to be a leader in the promotion of Hindi language and classical music, producing novelist Prem Chand, and music maestro Ravi Shankar.

Recent History

In recent times, centuries of countless pilgrims, festivals and funerals have taken a toll on the waters of the Ganga. Its high levels of pollution, especially in the city of Varanasi, have been cause for concern. The Ganga Action Plan was launched in 1986 by the Government of India but has not achieved much success in spite of an expenditure of over five billion rupees. Of late, Varanasi has also been prey to terror attacks as communal tensions continue to be ignited by religious fundamentalist parties.