KV Corridor will add to Kashi’s spiritual vibrancy, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the observation a day before he inaugurates the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, spread over 5.5 lakh (550,000) square feet area, in Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Kashi Vishwanath (KV) Corridor project will add to the spiritual vibrancy of Kashi (Varanasi).
He made the observation a day before he inaugurates the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, spread over 5.5 lakh (550,000) square feet area, in Varanasi on Monday. A festive atmosphere was palpable in the temple town before the event.
The KV Corridor that connects the Ganga and Kashi Vishwanath temple has been decorated with ornamental lights and tons of marigold flowers and garlands for the ceremony.
“Tomorrow, 13th December is a landmark day. At a special programme in Kashi, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will be inaugurated. This will add to Kashi’s spiritual vibrancy. I would urge you all to join tomorrow’s programme,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
PM Modi will be on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi from Monday.
Soon after arriving in Varanasi, Modi will offer prayers at the Kaal Bhairav temple around noon and thereafter reach the KV Corridor gate on the bank of the Ganga. At around 1pm, he will visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple and offer prayers, after which he will inaugurate Phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham (KV Corridor), constructed at a cost of around ₹339 crore, a statement said.
According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), it was the vision of the prime minister 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 practised the age-old custom of taking a dip in the holy river, collecting Gangajal and offering it at the temple.
A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in the 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,” it said.
Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Tarun Chugh said over 50 crore (500 million) people will watch the KV Corridor inaugural ceremony that will be shown live on television and live streamed on various social media platforms, including YouTube.
Around 3,000 special guests, including saints, Vedic scholars, priests from all 11 other jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva will attend the inaugural ceremony, he added.
There is a hi-tech command and control centre with cameras installed in every nook and corner for round the clock surveillance to ensure foolproof security, said commissioner of police, Varanasi, A Satish Ganesh.
Divisional commissioner Deepak Agarwal said, “It is matter of great satisfaction that KV Corridor is completely ready. It is all set to be inaugurated by Prime Minster Narendra Modi on December 13.”
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board (SKSADB) chief executive officer Sunil Verma, who supervised the project, said, “The entire Kashi Vishwanath Dham has been decorated with flowers for its inaugural ceremony.” All arrangements have been completed, he added.
Rajbahadur Patel, a resident of Khajuri in Varanasi, said, “No one thought that the Kashi Vishwanath temple complex could be made so grand by expanding it. But PM Modi has made it a reality.”
Ballu Vijay Yadav, who runs a tea stall in Pandeypur area and named it the NaMo tea stall in 2014, said, “Kashi Vishwanath Dham is divine, spiritual, and grand. The devotees, including kanwarias, will not have to wait for hours for darshan of Baba Kashi Vishwanath because the KV Corridor is spacious and sprawling. It is a gift to the devotees, including kanwarias.”
Ravi Gupta, a resident of Pandeypur, said KV Corridor has added to the glory of Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism).
Vivek Singh Raghuvanshi, resident of Tewar village in Cholapur area of Varanasi, expressed happiness over construction of the KV Corridor.
“It will make pilgrimage comfortable and thus will boost religious tourism,” he said.
Commissioner of police A Satish Ganesh said tight security arrangements have been put in place in the entire city for the inaugural ceremony.
The prime minister will witness Ganga aarti at around 6pm on Monday.
The next day, he will preside over a conference of the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states on the Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) campus.
The conclave will provide an opportunity to share governance-related best practices and is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of furthering the team India spirit, the statement said.
