Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. The project envisions a massive makeover of the holy shrine and its surrounding areas. This massive makeover is the first after the 1780 AD when the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore renovated the temple and the area surrounding it.

About the Project

• The proposed 50-feet corridor will directly connect Ganga’s Manikarnika and Lalita Ghat to the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Temple.
• Along the corridor, pilgrims and travellers will see a newly built museum and depicting Varanasi’s ancient history and culture
• New Yagyashalas for religious functions like havan and yagya are proposed under the
• The project also includes lodgings for priests, volunteers and pilgrims together with an enquiry centre to help the tourists about the city and its other places of attractions and amenities
• A massive auditorium for gatherings, meetings and temple functions.
• Food Street to serve tourists and pilgrims luscious Banarasi and Awadhi dishes.
• The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 600 crore.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple located on the left bank of the holy river Ganga is surrounded by narrow and small, claustrophobic lanes. As a result, it struggles to manage humongous crowds in its congested lanes during festive times, which is literally round the year. The corridor will ease the congestion and provide the pilgrims and travellers other amenities such as wider and cleaner roads and lanes, better lighting with bright street lights, and clean drinking water.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2019