Mahesh Madhav Gogate, (Ph.D.), is an assistant professor in the Centre for Indic Studies at Indus University. Over the past decade, his research has critically examined the sacred and fluid geography of Varanasi city. Drawing on fieldwork, archival analysis, and GIS mapping, he investigates the historical transformation of its sacred water-heritage sites and the evolving modalities of urban water management within social and ecological frameworks. For the last fifteen years, he has resided in Japan, where he has pursued comparative civilizational studies that elucidate historical and cultural interconnections between India and Japan.