The Varanasi Challenge is
looking for solutions that will allow the city to better manage the growing
influx of annual visitors, while making the city more accessible for
tourists and local residents, particularly older people and people with
disabilities.
Located
on the banks of the Ganges River in northern India, Varanasi is widely known as
the “spiritual capital” of the nation. The old city of Kashi within Varanasi is
one of India’s most important pilgrimage sites, with millions of people
visiting every year for religious and cultural reasons. The inflow of tourists, however, when coupled with the city’s narrow,
winding lanes and dense urban fabric, raises potential questions around safety
and overcrowding. Previous reports have suggested that Varanasi attracted
around 70 million visitors, which reiterates the need to enhance the
city’s safety and accessibility, especially
as most tourists are middle-aged and elderly people.