India News | 8 Lakh Ladoo Packets to Be Distributed in Varanasi to Celebrate Kashi Vishwanath Corridor Opening

Varanasi, Dec 13 (PTI) To celebrate the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, the district authorities here and the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust will distribute 8 lakh packets of ladoos across the city, according to officials.

While the target is to distribute all packets on Monday, but given the enormity of the task, the distribution may spill over to Tuesday, the officials said.

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Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi to the people. The inauguration was attended by a large number of saints and seers, who later had food at the 'bhojanalaya' situated in the new complex.

After the inauguration event, Modi witnessed the spectacular Ganga 'aarti' while onboard a river cruise with chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and other BJP-ruled states. He also enjoyed a light and sound show on the ghats of river Ganga.

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"To mark the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, eight lakh packets of ladoos are to be distributed today onwards after the end of the function. The distribution will be undertaken by the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, we (district administration) are giving them 5,000 volunteers," a senior official told PTI.

A senior official of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust said, "Each box will have two or four ladoos. The plan is to distribute them across city households. It is a festive occasion and we want people to be a part of it," he said.

Early in the day, amid chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Modi, Modi', Prime Minister Modi was showered with rose petals and unbound adulation as he travelled through the streets of Varanasi that have been plastered with huge posters bearing his image and greetings.

After inaugurating the new corridor, Modi, in his address, lauded the civilisational heritage of Varanasi and said many sultanates rose and collapsed but Benaras remained.

The temple area here, which was only 3,000 square feet, has now spread to about five lakh square feet. Now 50,000 to 75,000 devotees can come to the temple premises, he said.

He said a "new history" was being created and "we are fortunate to have witnessed it".

In the streets, a group of religious men chanted Sanskrit 'shlokas', while devotional songs dedicated to 'Kashi ke Baba Vishwanath' were played on loudspeakers by many shops and stores to celebrate the occasion.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)