KASHI CORRIDOR CALLING!

There is an unprecedented rush to visit Kashi.  Devotees interest is more than doubled to see Kashi once again, after Modiji's dream project of Kashi Corridor linking the sacred Visvanath temple to the Ganga river. 

My Kashi tour started with a holy dip in the Triveni sangam of Prayagraj (erstwhile Allahabad). Thereafter we moved towards Kashi. Kashi which means the 'city of lights' in Sanskrit is also called by the name 'Varanasi,' a name which is derived from Varuna and Assi, the two tributaries of Ganga which flow around the city.  We entered Kashi temple through the Shankaracharya Gate and our long long queue was 

all along the labyrinthine by-lanes of old Kashi. Only after crawling for about 300 meters in the queue we could have a glimpse of the rear side of the grand Kashi Corridor, which is enhancing the glory of the Kashi temple. No discerning eye can miss the glaring view of Gyanvapi mosque built 

by the invader Aurangazeb, after destroying the Visvanath temple. The mosque which is now a specially protected area is just 20 feet away from the Visvanath temple.  A cursory glance from the queue itself is enough to understand that the mosque is built over the Kashi temple. 

It was only through the humble efforts of Rani Ahilya Bhai Holkar, (see her statue above inside the Kashi Corridor) that the structure of Kashi temple is in its present form, after the destruction caused by Aurangazeb.  

After Rani Ahilya's renovation, Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated one ton of gold to the Kashi temple for giving a golden coat to the towers of the temple.

Next day we took a boat ride towards the other side of the holy river Ganga and took a holy dip.  Thereafter we marched towards the main entrance of the grand Kashi 

Corridor. This project now consists of 23 buildings including tourist facilitation centre, temple museum and a food court. Escalators are also planned for the benefit of senior citizens.

About 1400 families were rehabilitated and 300 buildings were taken over to build this huge corridor which has now provided 5 lakh sq.ft. of space to the devotees when compared to the earlier 3000 sq.ft. With this vast corridor, Kashi temple can now accommodate almost 1 lakh pilgrims. During the process of demolition many small ancient temples were discovered and all of them are restored to their original form inside the corridor. 

Towards the evening it was time for 'Ganga Aarti.' The aarti venue is the Dashashwamedha Ghat.  We viewed aarti from the river side by 

taking a seat on a boat.  Mesmerizing Ganga Aarti is a daily event witnessed by thousands of pilgrims.  This hour long program is one more attraction for the visiting tourists. After Ganga Aarti we went on one more boat ride on Ganga river enjoying the night view of various Ghats.  Human body cremation still goes on in Harischandra 

and Manikarnika Ghats.  This is for keeping the age old tradition and honoring beliefs of our people.  Still I vouch, Ganga as we saw in Varanasi, is Clean.

Next day we visited other temples including the Kala Bhairava Mandir, Annapoorna Mandir, Vishalakshi Mandir and Sankat Mochan Mandir. Later on it was time for visiting the nearby Saranath, wherein Buddha taught Buddhist principles to five of his trusted disciples. Kashi visit can't be complete without walking through the lanes of the famous Banaras Hindu University.

History has recorded that Acharya Tulsidas wrote his 'Ramacharita Manas' on the banks of the river Ganga in Kashi.  Saint Kabir and Saint Ravidas are other historic personalities associated with Kashi.

Other famous personalities associated with Varanasi include Bismilla Khan (Shehnai), Pandit Ravishankar (Sitar), Girija devi (Vocal), Birju Maharaj (Dancer), Krishna Maharaj (Tabla).

Nearby Ayodhya is one more pilgrimage attraction for devotees.  After a long battle of about 500 years, Supreme Court judgment dated 9th Nov 2019 provided the relief and paved way for the construction of Ram Temple at the very site of Ram's birth.

Work at the Ram Janmabhoomi site is in full swing.  The temple will be built over a site measuring 70 acres, will be having a height of 161 feet and includes five domes. About 17000 granite stones have arrived from Bansi Paharpur, Rajasthan.  Red stone carvings are already complete and are just awaiting the assembly of the structure.  The whole construction complex is now a high security zone. Construction of the Ram temple is expected to be complete by 2024.

Other temples of religious importance in Ayodhya include Hanuman Garhi, Nageswarnath temple, Sita Ki Rasoi and Kanak Bhavan temple (see pic below).  Kanak Bhavan temple is believed to be the  

gift of Mata Kaikayee to Sita on the occasion of her marriage. 

Sarayu Aarti in Ayodhya which is also a daily event is less crowded and its watch is a more satisfying experience.  

Bodhgaya, near Gaya is one more tourist attraction.  It's the place where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment while doing 'tapas' under the Bodhi tree.  The present Bodhi tree which is said to be

of fourth generation is just behind the Buddha temple. The Mahabodhi temple was built by Emperor Ashoka at the very site of Buddha's enlightenment and therefore is the most important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists. The 180 feet temple was further constructed by Kings who patronized Buddhism.  Although the temple was destroyed during Muslim rulers, the glory of the temple is restored by the efforts of renovation during the previous century. 

At a small cost of about Rs.32,000 per person (onward AC train and return by flight) we have completed our Kashi Yatra including Prayagraj (1 day), Ayodhya (1 day), Varanasi 3 days), Gaya-Bodhgaya (2days), Debogarh  (Jyothirlinga-2 days), Patna-Rajgir-Nalanda (2 days).  Needless to say that India is the world's cheapest and the most exciting tourist centre.  Still it needs improvement infrastructure and management to make India a comfortable tourist destination. 

We travelled on our own.  Thanks to irctc and makemytrip sites, we could pre-book all travel and stay facilities.  Travelling on own, although tedious enables better management of places and leisure.  Still for seniors I feel travelling with well known tourist agencies is better.

I wish you all pleasurable time and a successful and blissful Kashi Yatra in the days to come.

(Tips:

1. By searching google using the train number, one can locate the platform of arrival, the position of bogies and the arrival time of all trains.  An app called 'Where is my train?' can be downloaded which will provide a comprehensive help.

2. People are expected to carry 2-3 suitcases/bags.  Writing down a list of 'where is what' will save a lot of time and search irritation.

3. Carry less cash. Make better use of payment apps and cards.  Keep cash in 2-3 places.

4. 2 complete sets of daily tablets  may be carried in different baggage.)

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