URBANIZATION AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE : Study of Hindu-Muslim Interactions in Varanasi

In this study, an attempt has been made to analyse the social reciprocity and religious tolerance between Hindu and Muslim communities with regard to modernization and its impact in an urban setting. It explores to find out the nature of religious, social, economic and occupational adoption between the communities. It further attempts to explain the extent and the quantum to which Hindus have adopted the beliefs and traditions of Muslims, and Muslim communities have adopted from the religious traditions, rituals and beliefs of Hindus in their social and occupational life in the wave of modernization.
The empirical survey was conducted in the city of Varanasi, which is a peculiar blend of tradition and modernity. It has a specific confluence of inter-religious interaction and denotes a strong socio-cultural solidarity in the urban social structure. The conflict and riots in the city are rare and if they happen, they are caused and enticed by some change-monger politicians or misguided section of people.
Such study by its very nature happens to be of sociological interest and arrests the attention of travellers, visitors, social scientists, economists and technologists to this peculiar dynamic blend of urban social texture. That is why this present study is conducted to unveil and highlight the social reality of religion and society in an orthogenetic city and to trace out the changing scenario of communitarian relations in the light of modernization.

Anupama Pandey, a UGC Post Doctoral Fellow, is teaching sociology in the Department of Sociology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. She holds first class Master’s degree in Psychology and Sociology and Doctorate degree in Sociology from Banaras Hindu University.
Dr Anupama is very actively involved in the social welfare programmes and up-holds the issues concerning gender inequality, social justice and socio-economic uplift of women. Sociological Theory, Sociology of Education, Sociology of Religion and Criminology are her areas of special interest. She has published widely in reputed national and international journals.