Urban Governance and Cultural Awakening: A Study of Varanasi

The government has done abundance efforts to actualize urban governance as an effective approach to solve urban problems in urban society. Actualization of this approach depends on fulfillment of various infrastructures, particularly the cultural one. Varanasi as the oldest living city of the world and cultural capital of India, today suffers from many problems rooted in negligence and sleeping of its local government and citizens. This study concentrates on the significance of the role of cultural awakening as one of the most important factors in actualization of urban governance in Varanasi. Thus, some of the principles of urban governance regarding cultural awakening are assessed at both levels of the local government and citizens. Moreover, few challenges are introduced, which are required for awakening and awareness of the local government and citizens about their functions for actualization of urban governance. For this purpose was examined the function of four government agencies which are as follows: Varanasi Development Authority (VDA), District Urban Development Authority (DUDA), Varanasi Jal Sansthan (JS), and Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC).