Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi on 13-14 December to offer prayers at Kashi Shri Vishwanath Temple and inaugurate phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore.
It was the vision of the PM for a long time, to facilitate the pilgrims and devotees of Baba Vishwanath, who had to encounter congested streets and surroundings with poor upkeep, when they practiced the age-old custom of taking a dip in the holy river, collecting Gangajal and offering it at the temple.
To realise this vision, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham was conceptualised as a project to create an easily accessible pathway to connect Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the banks of the River Ganga.
To kickstart the work for this pious endeavour, the foundation stone of the project was laid by the Prime Minister on 8th March 2019.
The PM took a keen and active interest at all stages of the project. Regular briefings, reviews, and monitoring were done by the Prime Minister himself, and he constantly gave inputs and insights to improve the project and make it more accessible for pilgrims, including for the disabled. The project was designed to provide easy access for the disabled and old age people with the provision of ramps, escalators, and other modern facilities.
A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in phase 1 of the project. They will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court, among others.
The project involved the purchase and acquisition of more than 300 properties around Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The PM’s vision to take everyone along was the principle based on which mutual negotiations were done for these acquisitions.
In this endeavour, the rehabilitation of around 1400 shopkeepers, tenants, and homeowners was done amicably. The testimony of the success is the fact that there is no litigation pending in any court of the country regarding acquisitions or rehabilitation related to the development of the project.
During the visit to Varanasi, the PM will also visit Kaal Bhairav Temple and witness Ganga Aarti while onboarding a Ro-Ro Vessel on 13 December. On 14 December, he will attend the 98th-anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan at Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi.
During the two-day visit, the PM will also participate in a conclave of the chief ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy CMs from Bihar and Nagaland. The conclave will provide an opportunity to share governance-related best practices and is in line with the PM’s vision of furthering the ‘Team India’ spirit.