Varanasi’s international cricket stadium to be reminiscent of Lord Shiva’s crescent

The stadium will be equipped with seven pitches, nets, lounges, commentator’s box, media centre etc, besides having a big hostel, says UPCA CEO

VARANASI The architecture of the international cricket stadium proposed at Ganjari in Varanasi will be reminiscent of the holy city’s rich heritage and things related to Lord Shiva. The roofs will be in the form of a crescent that crowns Lord Shiva while the floodlights will be trident-shaped.

The proposed design of the stadium that will come up in Kashi. (Sourced)

With the construction of this cricket stadium in 2.5 years, Varanasi would be able host international cricket matches, said officials.

“The stadium will have a crescent-shaped dome, trident-shaped floodlights, ghat steps-based seating and Bilva Patra-shaped metallic designs on the facade,” said Ankit Chatterjee, CEO, Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association.

A galaxy of cricket legends, including India’s former skippers - Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar - among others would be attending the ground-breaking ceremony of the first-ever international cricket stadium of eastern Uttar Pradesh in Varanasi on Saturday when Prime Minister and local MP Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone at a glittering function.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny, secretary Jay Shah and vice-president Rajeev Shukla will also grace the ceremony. The former cricketers and others will offer prayers to Lord Shiva at the Baba Kashi Vishwanath Temple, said a senior administrative official.

The stadium, being developed on a piece of 30.60 acres land by the UPCA under the patronage of the BCCI at a cost of ₹330 crore, will have a capacity of 30,000 spectators. The stadium’s land worth ₹121 crore has already been purchased by the Uttar Pradesh government.

“The stadium will remain with the UPCA on a long-term lease. It will be equipped with seven pitches, practice nets, lounges, commentator’s box, media centre etc, besides having a big hostel,” said Chatterjee.

So far, the UPCA doesn’t have its own stadium anywhere in the state. The Green Park stadium is being used by it for hosting international matches under a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The stadium is expected to be built in two-and-a-half years. The construction agency L&T has already started pre-construction activities like soil testing etc. In the first phase, parking facility and a practice pitch will be set up as part of the project, said RP Singh, regional sports officer (Varanasi).