Narendra Modi had visited Kyoto during his visit to Japan. Like Varanasi, Kyoto is also an old city. However, Kyoto has been modernised without disturbing its legacy. Modi wants to develop Varanasi on the lines of Kyoto and has sought help from the Japanese government to do this. Shinzo Abe may even lend Modi some advice in this regard tomorrow. Preparing tracks for the Bullet train and getting it to finally run will take time. However, cleaning up Varanasi, improving the condition of its roads and improving systems in the city should not take that long. A beginning, at the least, should be made now.