PM Modi to inaugurate Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi on Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi from Monday, during which he will inaugurate the phase 1 of the newly-constructed Kashi Vishwanath Dham.

"At around 1 PM on December 13, Prime Minister will visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and offer prayers, after which he will inaugurate phase 1 of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crore," a release from the Ministry of Culture said.

The foundation stone of the project was laid by the prime minister on March 8, 2019 to create an easily accessible pathway to connect the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the banks of Ganga.

"The  project was designed to provide easy access for the disabled and old age people with provision of ramps, escalators, and other modern facilities," it said.

A total of 23 buildings will be inaugurated in the phase 1 of the project which will provide a variety of facilities to the pilgrims visiting the temple, including Yatri Suvidha Kendras, Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, among others.

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The project involved purchase and acquisitions of more than 300 properties around the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for which mutual negotiations were taken up. In this endeavour, the rehabilitation of around 1,400 shopkeepers, tenants and homeowners were done amicably, the ministry said.

During the process of destruction of old properties, more than 40 ancient temples were rediscovered which have been restored and beautified, while ensuring that there is no change in the original structure, it added.

While the earlier premises of the temple was of around 3,000 square feet, the new project will be spread over an area of about 5 lakh square feet.

"During the two-day visit, prime minister will also participate in a conclave of chief ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy CMs from Bihar and Nagaland," the release said.

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