More than 51,000 seats were prepared to broadcast on Monday the mega inauguration ceremony of the “Kashi Vishwanath Dham†(Kashi Vishwanath corridor) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be followed by a month-long cultural exercise in Varanasi. If one sits down to trace the Prime Minister’s deep connection to the religious and spiritual city of Kashi, they will be led to Modi’s long history of association with her long before he became Prime Minister of the India.
Even before Prime Minister Modi began representing Varanasi in Parliament, he had several opportunities to visit the holy abode of “Baba Vishwanathâ€. While each subsequent visit further strengthened the Prime Minister’s bond with the city, it also further fueled his desire to contribute to the city’s spiritual regeneration and restore the city to its lost grandeur.
When Prime Minister Modi came to Kashi to fulfill his candidacy for the elections, he declared: “I have neither come nor brought here, but I have been called by Mother Ganga herself”. With this in mind, he embarked on the path of the reconstruction of the city. The fruits of his labor quickly became visible with the development of infrastructure and the 360 ​​degree transformation of Kashi. But it was Prime Minister Modi’s lifelong dream to help help Kashi Vishwanath Mandir reach the aura of the past. With this, he embarked on the odyssey of developing the Kashi Vishwanath corridor.
Restoring the lost tradition
Kashi had an age-old ritual whereby people would bathe in the sacred Ganga river, take Gangajal from there and offer to the temple. Over the centuries, due to rampant construction and encroachment into the adjacent area, this ritual began to fade away. The relentless construction also made accessing the temple and “darshan” a daunting task for worshipers.
It had long been a desire of Prime Minister Modi to restore the age-old ritual. To achieve this, Prime Minister Modi conceptualized the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor to connect the Ganga River to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Facilitate pilgrims
The idea of ​​the PM corridor revolves around preserving the spiritual fervor of the pilgrims which was hampered by the crowded streets and dirty surroundings as they moved from Ganga ghat to the temple. PM’s vision was to transform this hallway in a way that not only preserves the spiritual fervor of the pilgrims, but also goes above and beyond their expectations so that their minds are filled with joy. He therefore asked the architects to “build a corridor of such stature which will amaze all pilgrims”. With this in mind, work on the corridor has started.
Beginning of the effort
At the cornerstone laying ceremony for the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project on March 8, 2019, Prime Minister Modi said, “I don’t know, maybe ‘Bhole Baba’ (Lord Shiva) had to decide that son you talk a lot. Come here and dare to speak. And maybe, call it the order or the blessings of Bhole Baba, but today that dream is starting to come true.
‘Sabka Prayas’ – A litigation-free project
At the time of conceptualization, it was considered an almost impossible project, given the topography of the area and the dense presence of the population residing there, as every inch of space was covered with a structure or another one. The acquisition of property was therefore a major obstacle. Prime Minister Modi called on officials to ensure that everyone is supported through constant dialogue. The PM called on officials to take a flexible and patient approach and give time to resolve any grievances. The approach allowed the project to be litigation-free.
The sacrifice of around 400 families freed up land for the project.
The transformation
The extent of the challenge that has been overcome can be verified through these before and after photos. This is what the site looked like in 2017. Only a visionary leader could have seen what no one else has been able to see for so long, and that deepened that hallway and made it exist.
Design, development and follow-up – attention to detail
While the acquisition of the land was one aspect of the project, the other part of the project journey was its design and development. PM Modi not only gave the initial briefing to the architects, but also provided constant insight and feedback for the architectural design, including review via the 3D model of the project. His attention to detail is also reflected in his contributions to making the area suitable for people with disabilities.
Along with the design of the project, PM Modi also played a proactive role in the execution. He followed the progress of the project even during the Covid period, by videoconference.
Despite Covid, with Baba’s blessing, PM’s efforts were reflected in the completion of the project in record time. PM embodied this spirit when he said, “Even in difficult times, Kashi has shown that she doesn’t stop, she doesn’t get tired.”
Find the lost heritage
PM Modi’s vision was also to ensure that while properties obstructing the proposed corridor were removed, existing heritage structures were also preserved. This foresight of the Prime Minister came in handy when, during the demolition of buildings, more than 40 ancient temples like Shri Gangeshwar Mahadev temple, Manokameshwar Mahadev temple, Jauvinayak temple, Shri Kumbha Mahadev temple, etc. multi-story buildings along the way. They are not “small” temples; each of them has a history that goes back a few centuries. These rediscovered temples will further enrich the glorious heritage of the city.
This rediscovery of lost heritage is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision and his tireless efforts for cultural restoration by bringing back lost heritage, even from foreign countries. This was recently embodied in her efforts to bring back from Canada the rare idol of Maa Annapurna Devi and her installation at Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
New India – both modern and spiritual
PM Modi’s odyssey for the development of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor reflects his unique approach to building a new India – a nation with modern outlook, standing confidently on the foundation laid by spiritual awakening.
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