In Pics : Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

 

In Pics : Kashi Vishwanath Corrider

The area around the centuries-old Vishwanath temple in Varanasi got a major facelift as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on December 13, Monday. The corridor links the Vishwanath temple to the ghats of the Ganga -- an ancient connection that had been cut off due to encroachment and haphazard construction.

Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore. During the inauguration ceremony, Narendra Modi had termed Kashi as “avinashi (indestructible)” and asserted that a “new history” was being created and “we are fortunate to have witnessed it.”

In Pics : New Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

The temple is one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India and draws lakhs of visitors from India and abroad every year.

The phase one of the project has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore and is now spread over five lakh square feet. The earlier premises were just around 3,000 square feet. Now, around 50,000-75,000 devotees can be accommodated in the temple premises. Some of the phase 1 buildings will be opened to the public in a few more weeks.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Complex Gets A Facelift

The Kashi Vishwanath project houses 23 buildings. The buildings will provide facilities like yatri suvidha kendras, tourist facilitation centre, Vedic kendra, Mumukshu bhavan, bhojshala, city museum, viewing gallery, food court, among others.

The main draw of the project is the link between the main temple with the Lalita Ghat. Earlier, people had to pass through congested streets to reach the temple from the river bank. 

Since, the temple was not directly connected to the banks of the Ganga, the corridor will enable devotees to walk directly to the temple after collecting water from the river. Besides, people can also visit the temple after taking a boat from any of Varanasi's numerous ghats.

Over 40 ancient temples, which were found during the demolition of buildings, have now been conserved and made part of the project.

At the entrance, grand gateways and ornamental arches have been built in heritage architecture style in four directions.

Stone-made sculptures of Bharat Mata, statues of Saint Adi Shankaracharya and Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar have been erected inside the complex. Maharani Ahilyabai is believed to have constructed the temple in around 1780 AD. In the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had got the temple crowned with a golden 'shikhar'.

The cultural history of the Vishwanath temple and 84 ghats will be showcased on "smart signages" for tourists.

LED screens will display information on the history and architecture of Kashi. The famous Ganga aarti and the aarti at the Kashi Vishwanath temple will be shown on the LED screens in the city for tourists.

The temple now has a 20-foot-wide corridor connecting its Mandir Chowk to the holy Ganga's Lalita Ghat, offering direct visibility of the temple from the ghat. 

A view of Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi on 12/12/2021, illuminated with lights ahead of its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The move is in line with Prime Minister's vision to give tourism a major boost in the ancient city. 

While the renovation of the Kashi Vishwanath temple remains top on the list of projects completed in the Prime Minister\'s constituency, the Rudraksh Convention Centre that is designed like a Shivalinga with a capacity of seating 1,200 people, with 108 'rudrakshas' (beads) on its facade, is another major highlight.


A view of a corridor at the temple complex of Kashi Vishwanath. With the renovations, the temple now has a giant courtyard to accommodate devotees, especially during crowded times.

The temple premises and adjoining areas are illuminated ahead of the inauguration of the new Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor. 

‘Smart signage' set up in Varanasi to provide information about the cultural importance of heritage sites and 84 ghats in the city known for antiquity and architectural significance.

Devotees sing hymns inside Kashi Vishwanath Temple compound ahead of the inauguration of the new Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi.

Workers sit next to cut-outs of Narendra Modi inside Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises in inauguration day. 

Source - https://www.deccanherald.com/




















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