Professor Kaushal Kishore Mishra 

Mishra says that there is a lot of literature available on Kashi, but it's scattered. "In the 1980s, when I was a student, Diana L Eck arrived in Kashi to write her book, Banaras: City of Light. Unfortunately, she had nobody who could introduce her to the true aspects of the city. So, she met with tea stall owners, sadhus at the ghats, pandits in temples and other locals to write this book. Eventually, it became a hit, but it didn't truly represent the rich Banarasi tradition and folklore. We hope the course will."

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The students will also get a chance to understand the works of Tulsidas, Kabir, Premchand, Gautam Buddha and Ravidas.

"Kashi ko samajhne ke liye, Kashi ko jeena padta hai. Kashi is an emotion that can be seen and felt only when you have lived it. Currently, the tourist guides too have little or no clue about the real Kashi. Through this course, we are trying to create historians who will put the city on the world's cultural map," he adds.

A major religious hub in India, Kashi is considered the holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism and Ravidassia. "The religious culture, musical tradition and sculptural art of Kashi have always mesmerised the world. We already have about 10 applicants for the course from overseas. This was the dream and vision of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, who wanted to take Kashi to the whole world. We are fulfilling his wish," he says of the scholar and educational reformer.