5,000 hectares, Rs 399 cr: What the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Project entails in numbers

All eyes are on Varanasi on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the first of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project in his constituency. The government has said that the national coverage of this event will be monumental. Fifty-five high-definition cameras, four jimmy jibs and one huge drone will follow the prime minister to the ancient city so that the visuals of the programme are telecast across the country.

Modi's push for this project comes only a few months before the key Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2022.

The prime minister will be in his constituency for two action-packed days where he will watch ‘Ganga Aarti’ being performed on ghats from a cruise boat.

Here's what the project entails in numbers:

For anyone who has ever been to Varanasi, the cramped lanes of the place are perhaps pretty familiar. But this current project plans to make things easier and more comfortable for pilgrims visiting the city.

Rs 399 crore: Hindustan Times reported that the project cost Rs 399 crores. This is the cost of the first phase of the project that PM Modi will inaugurate on Monday. The report quoted Uttar Pradesh tourism minister Neelkanth Tiwari as saying, "It is not only taking forward the dignity of Kashi but also creating a possibility of the boom in the religious tourism of Varanasi. The tourism sector is expected to grow insignificantly."

Rs 800 crore: This is the total estimated cost of the project that the prime minister launched in March 2019, according to The Indian Express.

50-feet wide: The corridor is going to increase near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and connect with two ghats of the River Ganga. This will transform the area of the temple and pilgrims will no longer need to walk through cramped lanes, often causing crowds, to reach the temple.

5000 hectares:  Prime Minister Modi's dream project is built on an area of 5000 hectares and seeks to decongest the area for a better experience for pilgrims. The earlier premises were limited to just around 3,000 square feet, PTI reported.

23 buildings: This is the number of buildings that will be inaugurated on Monday. This will include several facilities for pilgrims, including 'yatri suvidha kendras', a tourist facilitation centre, vedic kendra, mumukshu bhavan, bhogshala, city museum, viewing gallery, food court among others. An auspicious time has been chosen on Monday for the inauguration.

3000 guests: The inauguration of the project will see about 3000 guests that would include seers, people associated with different religious maths, artists, political leaders and others.

300 properties acquired: Live Mint quoted a statement from the government as saying, "The project involved purchase and acquisitions of more than 300 properties around Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Prime Minister’s vision to take everyone along was the principle based on which mutual negotiations were done for these acquisitions."

1,400 people rehabilitated: The statement from the government said that it amicably rehabilitated around 1,400 shopkeepers, tenants and homeowners.

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