Kashi Vishwanath Dham: A symbol of the “Sanatan culture of India”

By Harsh Sanghvi

hi INDiA Special Report

The City Of Lord Mahadev has now been rejuvenated by PM Modi. After 400 years, the world witnessed the Historic, Grand, Divine and Ethereal Kashi! There is unprecedented enthusiasm in the whole world following the Inauguration of Kashi Corridor.

Kashi now reunites Lord Shiva with Maa Ganga, while the people chant ‘Bam Bam Bhole’ celebrating the new construction of the Dham. Keeping the cultural and spiritual heritage of India in mind, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has once again done a historical task of completing the world’s most complex task in the fastest way possible by rejuvenating the Kashi Vishwanath temple, an incredible center of faith of millions of people. Now researchers from around the world will come to Kashi, witness the change and will write about it.

Situated on the Trident of Lord Shiva, Kashi Dham is completely rejuvenated and is ready to welcome Lord Shiva turning the closed and narrow roads to wide roads. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project connects Kashi Vishwanath temple to the banks of river Ganga in Varanasi. Phase I of the project provides a variety of facilities to the pilgrims, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, tourist facilitation center and vedic centers.

The Inauguration Ceremony!

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi reached Varanasi this morning. Upon reaching Kashi, PM Shri Modi visited Kaal Bhairav Temple to offer prayers and performed aarti at the Temple. After that, PM Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath boarded a cruise vessel for Lalita ghat where PM Modi took a holy dip in the Ganga river. PM Shri Narendra Modi then performed Jalabhishek of Baba Vishwanath temple and inaugurated the Kashi Corridor. He expressed gratitude to sanitation employees and had a photo taken with them all. As they were being photographed, they all chanted ‘Harr Harr Mahadev.’ 

All BJP chief ministers and deputy CMs attended the ceremony which was broadcasted live from over 51,000 places nationwide. The inauguration ceremony has been named “Divya Kashi, Bhavya Kashi” (Divine Kashi, Grand Kashi). During his address to the nation, he said, Kashi is not a matter of mere words, it is a creation of sensations. Kashi is that – where awakening is life; Kashi is that – where death is also a festival; Kashi is that – where truth is the culture; Kashi is where love is tradition.

He further stated, Today, a new chapter is being written in the history of Kashi Vishwanath. Kashi Vishwanath Dham premises is not just a grand ‘bhavan’ but a symbol of India’s ‘Sanatan’ culture and traditions. Here you’ll see how inspirations of the ancient are giving direction to the future.

After about two and a half years, now this corridor is ready for pilgrims and devotees of Baba Vishwanath and with this the dream of transforming Kashi to Kyoto seems to be fulfilled. 

On 8 March 2019, PM Modi while laying the foundation stone of beautification of Kashi Dham in Varanasi said, “Since I was not in politics, I have been thinking about how to increase the beauty of Kashi. For years, Baba Vishwanath was tied, could not even breathe properly, but now he will get freedom.” 

In the last 100 years, only two such politicians of India have developed and maintained the cultural heritage of their country on a grand level. Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel and PM Shri Narendra Modi. Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel fulfilled the dream of making Somnath temple while following his footstep, PM Shri Narendra Modi has done incomparable work of beautifying Kashi, which has been recorded in history with the name of Kashi Corridor today.

Turning lanes into 50 ft Wide Roads 

Now with the construction of this corridor, narrow lanes will become a thing of the past. Earlier people who wished to visit the temple of Baba Vishwanath from Ganga Ghat had to go through narrow streets strugglings through street hawkers, prasad stalls, and much more. Now as soon as you leave the Ganges Ghat after taking a bath, you will reach the main gate of the temple through 50 feet wide & clean roads where you might find a crowd due to the long queue waiting to offer prayers, but there will now be enough space for devotees to stand.

Apart from that, there are 7 grand gates to enter the shrine, circumambulation path, Vedic and spiritual library, picture gallery, tourist center, multipurpose hall, security hall, food court, street lights, ramp-accelerator facility for disables and elderly and cleanliness on the roads will now be seen in the surroundings of the temple. The interesting fact about the temple is the temple has been redeveloped after a span of 400 years using the same stone used before giving them new structure and design.

Kashi Vishwanath Beautification Project presents a grand example of architecture to the world. Idols of Rani Ahilyabai, Kartikeya and Adi Shankaracharya have also been installed in Kashi Vishwanath Dham.

This dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been completed in record time. Building this corridor wasn’t an easy task. It was a daunting task to convince the owners of hundreds of houses and shops that came along the Corridor, to acquire their land, to pay fair compensation and then to preserve the temples. For this, PM Shri Narendra Modi had given the formula of coordination, co-operation and rehabilitation i.e. by giving proper compensation and rehabilitation to those whose houses or lands are taken.

Review-meetings time and again…

The Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member committee to monitor it. In which Vishal Singh, CEO of Kashi Vishwanath Temple and two other members were involved. This committee completed the work of soil testing, issuance of tenders and beautification of Kashi Dham expeditiously. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself took part in the Dev Deepawali program on 30 November 2020, where he also took stock of the project time and again. 

168 years ago Maharaja Ranjit Singh had installed the golden urn

It is known that Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar had renovated the temple in the year 1780 and after that in 1853 Maharaja Ranjit Singh had installed gold at many places including the three domes of the temple. Now after 400 years, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has transformed Kashi. Today Kashi will celebrate Dev Deepawali and 5 lakh diyas will be lit at Ganga Ghat, apart from this people in the country and the state will light diyas in their houses. 

As soon as PM Modi inaugurated this corridor, laddus were distributed in 7 lakh houses. The responsibility of delivering prasad from door to door was entrusted to the food department. Along with the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states, Deputy Chief Ministers, dignitaries of all sects of Sanatan Dharma including the Shankaracharya, Mahamandaleshwar, Shri Mahant reached Kashi to witness this occasion.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS!

• The temple has been redeveloped after a span of 400 years using same stone used before
• The total cost of the project is of Rs 800 crore
• 5.5 lakh square feet of land has been acquired
• As many as 23 new buildings were constructed to provide diverse facilities for the devotees
• Construction of green belt from temple premises to the banks of Ganga
• Rudraksh, Parijat and Bael plants will enhance the beauty of the temple premises
• Mandir Chowk, Banaras Gallery and special arrangements for tourists
• Museum, spiritual library, hall and food court are also part of the project.
• Sky Beam Light will enhance the beauty of Kashi in moonlight
• Direct route from Manikarnika Ghat and Lalita Ghat to the temple
• Laddu distributed in 7 lakh houses after the inauguration
• Thousands of sages and saints from across the country witnessed the inauguration ceremony
• 5 lakh diyas to be lit at Ganga Ghat for 3 days.Idols of Rani Ahilyabai, Kartikeya and Adi Shankaracharya have also been installed in Kashi Vishwanath Dham