Kashi Vishwanath corridor inauguration: What will change around the temple complex and in Varanasi

The main temple, Kashi Vishwanath temple, which is located on the left bank of the holy river Ganga roughly recieves 3,000 – 5,000 people every day and on special occasions like Mahashivratri and Shravan month it reaches over 1 to 3 lakh. (Image: Tarun Bhardwaj)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor that connects the ancient shrine of Shiv, Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the ghats of the Ganga in Varanasi. PM’s dream project in his own parliamentary constituency was under works for years and rivers 5,000 hectares. The project aspires to decongest the area for the devotees who want to take a holy bath in Gangs before visiting the shrine and beautify the temple complex.

The vision behind the corridor and temple complex development

The foundation stone for the project was laid on March 8, 2019 with the aim of restoring the “lost glory” of the spiritual place with an investment of Rs 800-crore. According to his officials, this was his long-standing dream to decongest the roads that lead to the temple from the ghat.

Since the temple was not directly connected to the river banks, a 20-foot-wide corridor was planned that will connect the Mandir Chowk to Lalita Ghat. The Ministry of Culture official said with the new corridor, the mandir will have direct visibility from the ghat.

The Project

The Prime Minister will inaugurate phase 1 of the project, constructed at a cost of around Rs 399 crore on December 1. With the corridor other 23 buildings from Tourist Facilitation center to Bhogshala, City Museum, food court and viewing gallery will be inaugurated.

Stone-made sculptures of Bharat Mata, statues of Saint Adi Shankaracharya and Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar have been erected in the sprawling revamped Kashi Vishwanath Dham complex. Moreover, huge posters of Maharani Ahilyabai who constructed the current structure of the temple in around 1780 A.D were put up to pay tribute to the Holkar queen.

The Bharat Mata statue, standing against the backdrop of ‘India’ is holding a tricolor and the map of India has been painted on a metallic surface with the country’s art and cultural heritage depicted on it.

Ornamental arches and grand gateways have been built in heritage architecture style in four directions, facing the ancient temple at its core. Building walls facing the streets leading to the shrine have been painted in uniform light pink colour and many buildings have been illuminated and bedecked with flowers for its inauguration on Monday.

Some of the phase 1 projects will be opened to the public in a few more weeks. This is taking place before the impending Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls and ahead of the announcement of poll schedule.

The tourism push with new revamped temple complex

Improving the infrastructure of Varanasi is expected to boost tourism to the holy city on the banks of Ganges, including the Buddhist pilgrim site of Sarnath. The Rudraksh Convention Centre will accommodate 100 people. The Shiva lingam look alike building also has meeting rooms, art gallery and multi-purpose pre-function areas.

Roads have been improved, Railway station at Manduadih has been upgraded with AC waiting lounge and ganga cruises have been planned for tourists. LED screens have been set up all around the city to display tourist information, history and architecture of Kashi. The Ganga aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat will be telecast on the screens.

Heritage restoration of corridor

According to officials, even while removing certain structures that were blocking the corridor the heritage properties were restored. Moreover, more than 40 ‘lost’ temples like the Mankameshwar Mahadev temple, Shri Kumbha Mahadev temple, the Gangeshwar Mahadev temple, the Jay Vinayak temple were discovered.

Some of the excavated remains will be kept in a separate gallery at the National Museum in New Delhi, screens alongside will be installed to run narrative histories of the same. Cultural history of Varanasi’s heritage site and 84 ghats will be enshrined on newly erected “smart signages”

FE Exclusive: First images of newly renovated Kashi Vishwanath Corridor set to be inaugurated by PM Modi

PM Modi and his vision of temple development around the country

Kashi Vishwanath corridor is in line with PM Modi’s ambitious temple development around the country vision. He had also laid the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and has started on beatification projects at the Kedarnath Dham which saw widespread destruction in the 2013 floods.

The PM described them as nation building projects and India’s efforts to find and celebrate its ancient glory.