/ 0
With a view to instill inspiration of spirituality and restore the ancient glory of Indian culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor to public. It was the vision and concept of Modi to make the Kashi Vishwanath temple more splendid and grand. Addressing mammoth gathering on the historic occasion, the Prime Minister urged Indians to make three resolutions for the sake of the country: Swachhta (cleanliness), Srijan (creation), and continuous efforts for Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).
Under the slogan Bhavya, Divya Kashi, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated project of ₹700 crore Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi, exhorting citizens to take pledges for cleanliness and self-reliance, saying that a new India will take pride in retrieving historical glory while striving for modernity.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Vishwanath Gali of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in India. The Temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, or Jyotirlingams, the holiest of Shiva Temples. The main deity is known by the names of Shri Vishwanath and Vishveshvara: Vishveshvara meaning Lord of the Universe. Varanasi was called Kashi ("shining") in ancient times, and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The etymology of the name Vishveshvara is Vishva: Universe, Ishvara: lord, one who has dominion.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Ancient Restored
The Temple has been referred to in Hindu scriptures for a very long time as a central part of worship in the Shaiva philosophy. It had been demolished by many Muslim rulers many times, most recently by Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in the year 1780.
Since 1983, the temple has been managed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The grand Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, a large corridor took a new look after re-development.
Mega Corridor
The mega corridor, whose foundation stone was laid by Modi on March 8, 2019, connects the main temple with Lalita Ghat via a corridor. The Project will allow easy accessible pathway connecting Kashi Vishwanath Temple to River Ganga. The newly buildings constructed will provide diverse facilities to pilgrims and devotees. More than 40 ancient temples have been rediscovered, restored and beautified. The first phase of dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kick started. Kashi Vishwanath Corridor is 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 practiced the age-old custom of taking a dip in the holy river, collecting Ganga jal and offering it at the temple. There is palpable excitement among the majority of the residents of the temple town and domestic tourists flocking the holy shrine of the Hindus in the run-up to the high-profile event, in view of which the police security in Varanasi have been stepped up.
Kashi Vishwanath Dham was conceptualised as a project to create an easily accessible pathway to connect Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the banks of the River Ganga. To kick start the work for this pious endeavor, the foundation stone of the project was laid by the Prime Minister on 8 March 2019.
The gateways and other structures have been built with stones and other materials using traditional craftsmanship. The Prime Minister took a keen and active interest at all stages of the project. The project involves purchase and acquisition of more than 300 properties around the temple.
Virendra Singh
To read the further articles please get your copy of Eastern Panorama January issue @http://www.magzter.com/IN/Hill-Publications/Eastern-Panorama/News/ or mail to contact @easternpanorama.in
