The Ram Temple in Ayodhya may not be finished until the end of 2023, before the general elections, but another project near to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s heart, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Project in Varanasi, will be finished by this November, before the Uttar Pradesh elections in 2022.
In March 2018, Modi unveiled the Rs 400 crore project in his parliamentary seat, which is centred on Lord Shiva’s old Kashi Vishwa Nath temple. The plan is to protect existing heritage structures, provide new amenities in the temple complex through a public-private partnership, reduce traffic and movement around the temple, and connect the temple to the Manikarna Ganga Ghat by a corridor with direct visibility.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project in Varanasi on December 13 ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections next year. The Kashi Vishwanath Dham project would connect the riverbank Lalita Ghat to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The state administration has planned a lavish inauguration celebration. The project is high on the ruling BJP’s priority list because Varanasi is also the Prime Minister’s seat. The project at Kashi Vishwanath Dham is planned to be finished by December 10. An extra 400 staff have been assigned to this task.
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Highlights of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project
- From Varanasi’s Lalita Ghat to the temple’s Mandir Chowk, a 20-25 foot wide corridor will be built.
- The project includes a 320-metre-long and 20-metre-wide paved promenade connecting the temple to the Ganga ghats.
- This will allow at least 2 lakh people to congregate at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at any given moment.
- Pilgrims will have access to a variety of services, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, guest houses, a hospice, a library, and a museum.
- The idea entails constructing a huge number of public restrooms in various locations where pilgrims flock in big numbers.
- It intends to install additional security measures as well as a larger emergency entry for cars and ambulances to approach the temple area.
- Other amenities on the property include a Ganga-view café and a Mandir Chowk encircled by three stories of emporium space.
- Food courts, stores, a spiritual bookstore, a VIP guest home, Mumukshu Bhawan, Vedic Kendra, Bhog Shaala, and a tourist information centre are all available.
- Three Yatri Suvidha Kendras, toilet blocks, and two museums — City Museum and Varanasi Gallery — that might be administered in PPP form were proposed.
The consultant’s position
The consultant will be tasked with identifying creative ideas and solutions that can improve the pilgrim experience while also making the most use of the operating space.
This will involve pedestrian circulation planning for visiting pilgrims to ensure the least amount of waiting, transit and walking time, and pleasant holding zones, as well as crowd control and emergency operations procedures and improved religious ritual experiences.
The consultant will also guarantee universal accessibility planning, access management, particularly on peak days such as Mahashivratri and Shrawan Mela, skilling opportunities for stakeholders such as local pandits, and free Wi-Fi zones. The consultant will also create value propositions in collaboration with civil society organizations, corporations, funders, telecommunications providers, and educational and research institutions.
According to the bid paper, “examples include tie-ups with Google Maps, Inland Waterways (and associated service providers), Wi-Fi service providers, RO water, sanitation, volunteers, and so on, to realize the aim ‘For the people, by the people, of the people.”
The price of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham construction project
After its March 2018 debut, the project’s cost is estimated to be Rs 600 crore (about). It is anticipated that Rs 300 crore was spent alone on the purchase of land and buildings surrounding the temple complex, as well as relocation compensation.
