Transport and Demography of
Varanasi
The population of Varanasi urban agglomeration in 2001
was 1,371,749; the sex ratio was 879 females every 1000
males.However, the area under Varanasi Municipal Corporation
has a population of 1,100,748 with the sex ratio being
883 females for every 1000 males. The literacy rate
in the urban agglomeration is 61.5% while that in the
municipal corporation area is 61%. Approximately 138,000
people in the municipal area live in slums. The crime
rate in the city in 2004 was 128.5 per 100,000 which
is higher than Uttar Pradesh rate of 73.2 but lower
than the national rate of 168.8.
Transport
A typical rickshawAuto Rickshaw and Rickshaw are the
most widely available public transport within Varanasi.
In outer regions of the city, mini-buses are common.
Small boats and small steamers are used to cross the
river Ganga.
Varanasi is well connected by air, rail and buses with
all the important places of India. Its distance from
Delhi is about 700 Kms. The airport is about 25 km from
the city center.
One of the major factors for sustainment of Varanasi
for such a long time as an inhabited city, is its effective
transport between different cities. From ancient times
the city was connected to cities like Taxila, Gazipur,
Pataliputra, Vaishali, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Agra etc.
The city was connected through a single road from Taxila
going through Pataliputra during Mauryan empire. This
road was later renovated and extended by Sher Shah Suri
during 16th century, which was later to be known as
the famous Grand Trunk Road.
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