NE NEWS SERVICE
VARANASI, DEC 13
Giving a big boost to spiritual tourism of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the first phase of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham here.
The great Adi Shankaracharya has made monumental contributions towards preserving our culture and civilisational ethos.
Paid homage to him at Kashi. pic.twitter.com/92yHhCRjKO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 13, 2021
Addressing the gathering, Modi lauded the civilisational heritage of Varanasi, and said many sultanates rose and collapsed but Benaras remained.
Behind the success of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham project is the hardwork of countless individuals. During today’s programme I had the opportunity to honour them and have lunch with them. My Pranams to these proud children of Bharat Mata! pic.twitter.com/iclAG9bmAR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 13, 2021
“Invaders attacked this city, tried to destroy it. History is witness to Aurangzeb’s atrocities, his terror. He tried to change civilisation by the sword. He tried to crush culture with fanaticism. But the soil of this country is different from the rest of the world. Here if an (Mughal Emperor) Aurangzeb comes, a (Maratha warrior) Shivaji also rises,” Modi said.
समय का चक्र देखिए,
आतंक के पर्याय इतिहास के काले पन्नों तक सिमटकर रह गए हैं।
आज हमारी काशी आगे बढ़ रही है, अपने गौरव को फिर से नई भव्यता दे रही है। pic.twitter.com/nGpBhasaWY
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 13, 2021
“If a Salar Masud marches ahead, warriors like Raja Suhaldev make him realise the power of our unity,” he said.
Modi said the whole new complex of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building, but a symbol of the “Sanatan culture” of India, our spiritual soul and India’s antiquity and traditions.
The temple area here, which was only 3000 square feet, has now spread to about five lakh square feet, Modi said.
Now 50,000-75,000 devotees can come to the temple premises, he said.
He said “new history” was being created and “we are fortunate to have witnessed it”.
Modi also spoke in local dialect during his speech.
After arriving in the holy city, also his parliamentary constituency, Modi paid obeisance at the Kaal Bhairav Temple and then took dip in Ganga from where he collected holy water for worship at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
People chanted hymns as the prime minister’s carcade rolled through the city. Modi also stopped at some places to accept felicitation.
Before the inauguration, Modi attended a prayer ceremony and later showered workers involved in building the project with flower petals in a gesture to acknowledge their work. He also sat with them for a group photograph.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP President J P Nadda and a large number of saints from across the country attended the ceremony.
