While the BJP’s quest to give an over Rs 2,200 crore makeover to UP’s religious sites may bring cheer to devotees, it has irked opposition parties who termed BJP’s ‘temple run’ a part of its changed strategy to woo Hindu voters. Political analysts, meanwhile, said the move will benefit the party in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kashi Vishwanath Corridor
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency and one of UP’s most ancient pilgrim cities Varanasi was the first to witness the construction of the grand Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. The foundation of the project, which cost around Rs 900 crore, was laid by PM Modi in 2019 and inaugurated by him on December 13, 2021. Under the project, the area around the temple has been expanded from 3,000 to 5 lakh square feet, making enough room for around 75,000 devotees.
Proposed Ram Janmabhoomi Corridor in Ayodhya
In August 2021, the UP government proposed the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi corridor in Ayodhya, the estimated cost of which is around Rs 800 crore. As per the proposal, Bhraman Path in Ayodhya will be transformed to connect River Saryu with the Ram Temple. The project has been conceptualised on the lines of a corridor connecting the Ganga with the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Varanasi.
“Bhraman Path will pass through Ram Ki Paidi, Rajgath and will reach Ram Mandir. After taking a dip in the Saryu, devotees will be able to reach Ram Mandir directly by using this stretch of the road,” a UP government official said. The corridor is expected to be ready by 2024.
Banke Bihari Corridor in Vrindavan
The Banke Bihari Corridor in UP’s Vrindavan is the latest in the series of temple corridors on which work has begun.
On November 20 this year, the Allahabad High Court approved the UP government’s proposal for the Vrindavan (Mathura) Banke Bihari Temple Corridor, citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution. The court instructed the removal of encroachments around the temple and emphasised on public interest in temple management, citing religious, social, historical and cultural significance. However, it restrained the government from using Rs 262.50 crore from the deity’s bank account for corridor construction and asked the government to use its own funds.
The decision came while the court was hearing a public interest litigation on crowd management and pilgrim safety at the Banke Bihari Temple. The court noted issues in temple management and acknowledged difficulties arising from disputes among Sevayats.
Officials with the district administration said the Banke Bihari Corridor, set to be one of the grandest in UP, will be built on the pattern of Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. While sharing the blueprint, officials said, “It will be a blend of tradition and modern, where the core area of the temple would remain undisturbed.”
Once developed, the corridor will not only boost the economy, but will also help in managing the crowd. According to the proposed blueprint, the project, which is likely to cost Rs 262 crore, will make enough room for devotees. Against the present capacity of around 800 devotees, officials said the corridor will be able to accommodate over 10,000 devotees at a time. It also envisages the “transformation” of the crammed lanes that lead to the temple.
Vindhyachal Corridor Soon
Vindhyachal Corridor in UP’s Mirzapur is also under construction. A government spokesperson said it was being built around Vindhyachal Temple at an estimated cost of Rs 224 crore in an effort to facilitate pilgrims. The corridor is being built using pink stones of Ahraura that have been expertly crafted by artisans from Jaipur. This year will mark the official opening of the corridor.
The Maa Vindhyavasini corridor, dream project of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is aimed at beautification of Maa Vindhyavasini Temple along with the creation of a 50-feet-wide space for ‘parikrama’ and for creating world-class facilities for pilgrims.
After the construction of the corridor, Maa Vindhyavasini Temple will be visible from the bank of the Ganga. The Vindhyachal project will be the second corridor in eastern UP after the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Besides, the UP government has also proposed a corridor in Bareilly.
‘Corridors are part of BJP’s new strategy’
Calling it an attempt to woo Hindu voters, Shashikant Pandey, head of the political science department at Bhimrao Ambedkar University, said: “BJP is focusing on religious places as larger Hindu sentiments are attached to it. The renovation and making of corridors is primarily linked to their agenda of Hindu/cultural nationalism. Along with its developmental policies, especially beneficiary schemes, BJP is trying to reach out to its core constituencies and also trying to blur the boundaries based on caste etc.”
Pandey added that the construction of the corridors would also help BJP divert people’s attention from issues like caste-based census. “Further, the party knows that religion has a strong emotive appeal and wherever such corridors have come up, people are thronging those places. BJP can claim credit for this and therefore, this combination of developmental initiatives along with emotive issues is being used to mobilise public support.”
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