From Somnath, Ayodhya to Kashi Vishwanath: Transformation of iconic temples could be Modi’s defining cult
FirstpostAs PM Modi could not visit Varanasi due to the Covid-19 restrictions, he got a model of the project constructed at his residence to review the progress of it over video-conferencing with the architects From Somnath to Kedarnath, the Char Dham Pariyojana, Ayodhya and now the Kashi Vishwanath Dham – the transformation of India’s iconic temple sites under his watch could be the defining cult of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Along with Kedarnath temple, another key project initiated by Prime Minister Modi has been the Char Dham Pariyojana to link the four holiest Hindu shrines of Uttarakhand – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamnotri and Gangotri - by an all-weather road for the benefit of the lakhs of pilgrims who come every year. The most ambitious temple projects on Modi’s table since 2019 have been the Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi. While the Supreme Court paved the way for the temple in 2019 and PM Modi himself did its bhoom-pujan last year along with kick-starting a rejuvenation project for entire Ayodhya town, the Prime Minister has closely monitored the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project too.