‘PM Modi to take part in cruise Baithak’

Varanasi: After inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an informal meeting with several chief ministers on a river cruise and witness Ganga ‘aarti’ and grand festivities being hosted at Varanasi ghats, a top official said on Sunday.

Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said Prime Minister Modi, who is the MP from the ancient city, had expressed his desire to “showcase the grandeur of Kashi” to the chief ministers.

“The PM is expected to reach Varanasi airport on Monday morning, from where a helicopter will take him to the campus of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University where a makeshift helipad has been made. He will then travel to Kal Bhairav Mandir for ‘darshan’ of the deity, and then travel by river route to reach the ghat adjoining the corridor,” he said.

The mega corridor, whose foundation stone was laid by Modi on March 8, 2019, connects the main temple with Lalita Ghat, and grand gateways and ornamental arches have been built in heritage architecture style in four directions, facing the ancient temple at its core. —(PTI)