Researched by: Sara Varghese & Prafula Grace Busi

First, some background

The temple’s history: The Kashi Vishwanath temple is dedicated to Vishweshwara or the ‘keeper of the universe’. The original temple was destroyed in 1194 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak. It was rebuilt but destroyed again in the 15th century. Akbar sponsored its rebuilding in the 16th century, Aurangzeb once again destroyed it in 1669. The structure we see today was built by Maratha ruler Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in the year 1780.

The temple’s significance: The temple is home to one of the pre-eminent Shiv lingas in the country—and a sacred annual destination for Hindu pilgrims: 

“On days like Shivratri, the temple sees more than two lakh devotees who jostle for space. Getting inside the temple for darshan (sacred sight) can take more than 6-8 hours. The lanes that lead to the temple can be as narrow as two feet in width. ‘Agar samne se gai a jaaye to nikalna mushkil ho jata hai (If a cow enters, it can be difficult to pass through the lane)’.”

The project: is a 50-foot wide corridor that will directly link the temple to two ghats on the Ganga. To be built over 500,000 square feet—a big jump from the current 3000 square feet—the project will cost Rs 8 billion (800 crore). The foundation stone for the same was laid way back in 2019. Yesterday, the PM inaugurated the completion of its first phase.

The vision: is similar to other big government projects such as the Jallianwala Bagh renovation in Punjab (explained here). This first phase includes 23 buildings including a tourist facilitation centre, city museum, viewing gallery and food court. Plus all this:

“The Rudraksh Convention Centre, designed like a Shiva lingam, can seat 1,200 people, and has divisible meeting rooms, an art gallery, and multipurpose pre-function areas. Ganga cruises are planned for tourists… Elsewhere in the city, LED screens will display information for tourists, including on the history, architecture, and art of Kashi. The famous Ganga Aarti and the aarti at the Kashi Vishwanath temple will be shown on the screens throughout the city.”

Point to note: The project is being executed by Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management—the same company that is behind the Central Vista project (explained here)

What’s the election angle here?

Location: Varanasi is Modi’s election constituency—which he chose when he first ran for office in 2014, along with his existing constituency Vadodara. He filed his nomination papers in a grand rally with thousands of people wearing saffron caps, Modi masks and blowing conches. At the time he said:

“Earlier I used to think that the BJP has sent me here, sometimes I felt that I am going to Kashi. But after coming here, I feel neither anybody sent me nor have I come on my own. It is Maa Ganga who has called me.”

Modi marked his 2014 win with an equally grand Ganga aarti—after performing a puja at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. He did exactly the same when filing his nomination papers in 2019, as well. So Varanasi has always been the staging ground for Modi’s biggest pre-election events.

Also, Purvanchal: The key to the UP election is the region of Purvanchal—and Kashi is of great significance to its residents. In the last assembly election, BJP won 115 out of total 164 seats here—while the Samajwadi Party scored only 17 and the BSP 15. As The Print observes, if UP is BJP’s road to Delhi, then Purvanchal holds the key to UP.

The timing: The dates for the Uttar Pradesh elections will be announced soon. And the date also coincided with the anniversary of the attack on the Parliament in 2001—an occasion typically marked by a sombre ceremony at Parliament House. That occasion went unmarked in the midst of festivities—perhaps because the event had to be staged before the “inauspicious” period in the Hindu calendar starts today.

The rhetoric: The BJP has always won big in Uttar Pradesh by appealing to Hindu pride—while consolidating the Dalit vote—and polarising the election along religious lines. So while the PM did not mention the terrorist attacks, there were pointed references to Muslim invaders:

“So many sultanates came and went away but this place has been here. History has seen the torture of Aurangzeb, who tried to kill culture with radicalism. But in this country an Aurangzeb is matched by a Shivaji… Look at the cycle of times, those people who stoked terror are confined to the pages of history while Kashi is moving ahead.”

And he sent a clear message that India is, in essence, a Hindu nation: “This whole new complex of Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building. This is a symbol of the Sanatan culture of our India.” And a nation ruled by Hindu gods: “There is only one government in Kashi, one with a ‘damru’ in his hands.”

The ‘Dharma Purush’: Modi’s image as the champion of Hindu tradition and pride is a core part of his appeal. And restoring the “lost” glory of temples—be it Ram Mandir in Ayodhya or the Somnath Temple in Gujarat—is one of his greatest achievements. And Amit Shah was quick to underline the fact on the eve of the Kashi event:

“Since becoming Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi has continuously worked with full devotion to give the holy places of Sanatan culture their true identity. Be it Shri Ram Janmabhoomi or Vishwanath Dham, it is a matter of great fortune for all of us to be a witness to all these.” 

Or as another state BJP leader put it: “If Ayodhya, Kashi, Kedarnath, Vindhyavasini are all the responsibility of Modi only, then whom will the Hindu vote for?”

Quote to note: Vir Sanghvi in NDTV sums up the remarkable transformation of Indian politics under Modi:

“Until Mr. Modi came along, no Indian Prime Minister had ever turned the act of prayer into such a massive satellite TV spectacle for public consumption… You can argue about Mr. Modi's desire to construct religious spectacles around himself. But what you cannot deny is that it works. The Kashi extravaganza is part of the campaign for the forthcoming UP election and the BJP believes that it will bring in the votes—as it has before.”

Speaking of those optics: Here’s a clip of the PM performing puja yesterday:

Point to note: The Kashi inauguration is just the first of a month-long series of events—all of them focused on various religious activities.

What’s wrong with restoring the temple?

Nothing, per se. Ironically, however, those most unhappy with the corridor are the locals—who include Hindus. 

Demolition derby: To build the corridor, the government razed narrow lanes and more than 250 buildings—including smaller temples—many of them built in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In creating more room for pilgrims, they destroyed the livelihoods and homes of many—and without adequate compensation. Also upset, local religious leaders: 

“We are not against the corridor. But they have destroyed 15 or 20 temples and numerous idols. They had been there since ancient times. It is an attack on our faith...Modi aur Yogi Hindu nahi hain. Aurangzeb se bhi bure hain (Modi and Yogi are not Hindus. They are worse than Aurangzeb).”

The other ‘Babri’: When Aurangzeb tore down the Vishwanath temple, he built the Gyanvapi Mosque on its ruins—and incorporated one wall of the old temple. The temple rebuilt by Ahilya Holkar is located right next door: “On the ground, the distance between the mosque and the temple is less than ten metres—the two share a boundary wall and access to the two sites is often through common gates.”

See the location of the mosque below in plan shared by PM Modi:

And now the corridor has cleared everything around it, the masjid is all the more conspicuous—raising fears of another Babri Masjid-type event. As a caretaker official of the mosque notes: 

“Before the Babri masjid was demolished, the area around it was cleared. Everything around it was brought down till the mosque stood alone and exposed. And because the area was cleared, it meant that lakhs could gather. They did and eventually demolished the mosque.”

Point to note: Back in 2019, some local residents were caught trying to bury a small statue of Nandi near the north wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. The aim: to show evidence of its Hindu origins. The mosque has long been in the rightwing crosshairs—along with the Shahi Idgah mosque adjacent to Lord Krishna's temple in Mathura. Hence the popular chant: “Ayodhya to sirf jhanki hai, Kasi, Mathura baaki hai” (Ayodhya is only the beginning, Kashi and Mathura are also left).

The bottomline: We are now in an era where religion is no longer a matter of personal faith but a political spectacle staged to promote the interests of some over others.

Reading list

• For more details on the project, read Indian Express or Firstpost. You can see an aerial view of the project here. 
• Times of India, The Print and The Week have more on the election angle.
• The Wire and NewsLaundry have the best reporting on the local anger at the corridor. 
• Caravan magazine and The Quint offer a deep dive on the rising controversy over the Gyanvapi mosque.
• A good read: Vir Sanghvi in NDTV argues Kashi is a revealing example of how Modi has transformed Indian politics—and why the opposition is struggling to counter him.