KVD project opening: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar hails Kashi corridor; says lakhs of people will visit for ages

Varanasi, Dec 13: Spiritual leader and founder of the Art Of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Sunday hailed the new Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, saying lakhs of people will visit this holy site for ages. He is among the large number of spiritual leaders, saints and seers who are slated to attend the inauguration of the mega project in the heart of Varanasi on Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On the eve of the event, Modi tweeted, "Tomorrow, 13th December is a landmark day. At a special programme in Kashi, the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham project will be inaugurated. This will add to Kashi's spiritual vibrancy. I would urge you all to join tomorrow's programme".

The temple premises have been bedecked with flowers to welcome the guests, which include several VVIPs. Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma on Sunday said about 3,000 people will attend the grand event billed as -- Divya Kashi, Bhavya Kashi -- on Monday, and in the presence of several leading saints of the country, the phase one of the project will be dedicated to the people by the prime minister.

"It was the desire of the honourable prime minister to dedicate this corridor in the presence of various saints and seers. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Kanchi Shankaracharya, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanavda Saraswati, Morari Bapu, Rameshbhai Oza, Sadhvi Ritambhara, among others will attend the event," he told reporters.

Ravi Shankar tweeted about the new project and thanked Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"Where religion is awake, happiness, prosperity and contentment grow together. From now till ages, lakhs and crores of people will visit this. Thank @narendramodi ji and @myogiadityanath for this unprecedented work," he tweeted in Hindi.

"Kashi city has been the spiritual centre of Indian culture, and grand temple premises are being inaugurated. Our honourable prime minister by doing such an incredible work, has given a lifelong gift to the county, which is beyond everyone's imagination," he added. Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and Adityanath also tweeted and hailed the project ahead of its inauguration.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kashi Vishwanath temple's cultural and spiritual glory was being restored," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Reddy said the project will prove very useful for Kashi's cultural and historical legacy".

BJP chief J P Nadda also tweeted and shared pictures of his visit to the holy temple. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust CEO Sunil Verma said a short documentary film on the temple is planned to be screened during the event on Monday.

A few battery-operated golf carts run by Agra Development Authority have been brought to Varanasi for the event. Statues of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, Adi Shankaracharya and Bharat Mata have been installed in the corridor premises. Authorities have also deployed a couple of people to scare away monkeys so that they do not spoil the floral decorations.