ABSTRACT
Though Banaras and its streets may have once looked the same to the older pilgrim and tourist, by the early 1930s much had changed in the city. Despite the inherent conservatism signalled by the many temples, religious organisations, and the rituals performed at the ghats, the inner life of the city was undergoing rapid transformation. In fact, the radical social and political protests of the day not only involved the new intelligentsia but had also reached the streets. There were several clubs and venues where the many communities of the city could meet; there were even four theatre-cum-cinema halls. 1
