Varanasi will host financial leaders from G20 countries

Varanasi, the ancient city in Uttar Pradesh, which is also PM Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, is always dubbed as the spiritual capital of India and nothing more.

However, this perception is about to change as Varanasi is all set to be placed on the international diplomacy map, by playing host to G20 financial and economic policy bureaucrats meet on March 28th and 29th.

Also read: PM Modi’s Varanasi, 26 other cities make it to Smart City list

Besides delegates from the G20 countries, it would also play host to officials from the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, OECD and the Asian Development Bank, a senior government official told ET.

Owing to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that started two and a half years back, in which Modi is taking a personal interest, the ghats of Varanasi have undergone a speedy transformation. Earlier, it used to be one of the dirtiest cities in the country.

The last time such a meeting was held in India was when the officials met in the beach state of Goa, India’s one of the favourite tourist destinations.

(Image source: Exotic India Art)