Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project that connects the temple town's two iconic landmarks - Kashi Vishwanath temple and Ganga ghats. Twenty-three buildings were inaugurated in this phase of the project - spread over a massive area of almost five lakh square feet. In comparison, the previous premises were spread across 3,000 square feet.
The PM said that the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham will give a decisive direction to India, and will lead to a brighter future. Modi also lauded the UP government and CM Yogi Adityanath for the project. "Along with all this, I also congratulate the UP government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who united day and night to complete the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project,'' the PM said.
Before the inauguration, Modi attended a prayer ceremony and later showered workers involved in building the project with flower petals in a gesture to acknowledge their work. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP President J P Nadda and a large number of saints from across the country attended the ceremony.
The inauguration of the state-of-the-art infrastructure, built at the cost of Rs 339 crore, surrounding the historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple near the iconic Dashashwamedh Ghat comes ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year.
The new buildings will provide a variety of facilities to pilgrims, including ‘yatri suvidha kendras’, tourist facilitation centre, vedic kendra, mumukshu bhavan, bhogshala, city museum, viewing gallery, food court among others. The project involved purchase and acquisition of more than 300 properties around the temple. Addressing the gathering, Modi lauded the civilisational heritage of Varanasi, and said many sultanates rose and collapsed but Benaras remained.
Modi said the whole new complex of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building, but a symbol of the “Sanatan culture” of India, our spiritual soul and India’s antiquity and traditions. The temple area here, which was only 3000 square feet, has now spread to about five lakh square feet, Modi said. Now 50,000-75,000 devotees can come to the temple premises, he said. He said “new history” was being created and “we are fortunate to have witnessed it”.