Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Varanasi today, in order to inaugurate the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. The corridor aims to connect the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the ghats of the river Ganga. The Kashi Vishwanath Project is a dream project of PM Modi. The corridor covers an area of 5,000 hectares. This Project will transform the whole temple complex, and is expected to boost tourism in not just Varanasi but also in Sarnath. Through this project the congested streets of Varanasi will now get a transformation.
Key Points
1. With a vision to restore the "lost glory" of Varanasi, the project was launched in March 2019, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project costs Rs-800-crore. According to the officials, it had long been PM Modi's vision to create better conditions for the pilgrims and devotees. The Kashi Vishwanath temple had no direct reach to the Ganga, and now a 20-foot-wide corridor will connect Lalita Ghat on the holy river to Mandir Chowk on the temple premises. “Shiva bhakts can take a dip in the river every morning and worship the Lord in the temple, which will now have direct visibility from the ghat,” an official of the Ministry of Culture said.
2. Today, the Indian Prime Minister, who is an MP from Varanasi as well, will inaugurate phase 1 of the project, constructed at a cost of Rs 339 crore approx. A total 23 buildings will be inaugurated, including a Tourist Facilitation Centre, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery and Food Court. After inauguration, it may take a few weeks for the place to be opened for the general public.
3. Without a doubt, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project will give a boost to the tourism in Varanasi and adjoining prominent sites like Sarnath. The newly developed infrastructure will include, the Rudraksh Convention Centre, designed like a Shiva lingam wher 1,200 people can be seated, an art gallery, Ganga cruises are also planned for tourists, road infrastructure has been upgraded, and the Banaras railway station has been revamped with the addition of an air-conditioned waiting lounge. Along with this, the city will have LED screens that will display information for tourists, including on the history, architecture, and art of Kashi. The famous Ganga Aarti and the aarti at the Kashi Vishwanath temple will be shown on the screens throughout the city.
4. This project not just aims to promote tourism but is also destined to restore the 'lost heritage' of the city. In Varanasi, “smart signages” have also been constructed to provide information on the cultural importance of heritage sites along with the city’s 84 ghats, which are best known for their antiquity and architectural significance.
5. PM Modi is dedicated towards infrastructure development and to promote the culture of India, hence to revamp and redevelop the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor is in line with the Prime Minister’s ambitious projects for temples around the country. Not just Kashi Vishwanath Complex project but in order to re-establish the 'lost glory' he has also laid the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and pushed beautification and redevelopment projects at the Somnath complex and the Kedarnath Dham.
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