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The 'Modi-fied' Face Of Varanasi

Varanasi라이브 바카라 twice-elected Member of Parliament (MP), Narendra Modi, has begun to sculpt the eternal city in his own image. His passion project—a wide, swanky corridor around the Kashi Vishwanath temple—has brought increased footfalls to the town. The roads running to the fabled ghats have also undergone a makeover. Just like the ghats themselves, such as Assi. The city라이브 바카라 newest ghat, literally called NaMo, doubles up as a glitzy promenade and a ‘theme park’, where splash pool, inflatable castles, trampolines, and toy rides make Hinduism cool. The new developments, though, also prod us to consider their cost. Many houses and temples were destroyed to accommodate the corridor. The city라이브 바카라 Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, too, has begun to change. Earlier this year, the district court allowed daily aartis in the cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque. The Varanasi Nagar Nigam라이브 바카라 new proposals include banning the meat shops within the two-kilometre radius of the Kashi Vishwanath temple and widening the roads in a Muslim-dominated locality, Daalmandi, so that Hindu pilgrims can have easy access to the corridor. As the city gears up to vote in less than two weeks, on June 1, its fate—and narratives of development—await a new chapter.

| Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

The Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, where Hindus perform cremations

Devotees in Varanasi
Devotees in Varanasi | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

Devotees in Varanasi heading towards a temple

Trash litter on road
Trash litter on road Photo by Priyanka Parashar/Mint via Getty Images

Trash litter a lane in Daalmandi, Varanasi

A devotee of Lord Shiva
A devotee of Lord Shiva | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

A devotee reveres Lord Shiva—also known as Mahadev (the greatest God)—on her forehead

Boat ride in Varanasi
Boat ride in Varanasi Photo by: Rahul Sharma/ INDIAPICTURE/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Boat rides near the ghats of Varanasi

Evening aarti
Evening aarti Photo by: Rahul Sharma/ INDIAPICTURE/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Evening aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat

Shops in revamped Varanasi
Shops in revamped Varanasi | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

The revamped road leading to the Dashashwamedh Ghat

Revamped road to Dashashwamedh Ghat
Revamped road to Dashashwamedh Ghat | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

The road leading to the Dashashwamedh Ghat

Mukti Bhawan
Mukti Bhawan | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

The priests at Mukti Bhawan, where devout Hindus check in to literally die

Ustad Bismillah Khan라이브 바카라 house
Ustad Bismillah Khan라이브 바카라 house | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

A room on the terrace in Ustad Bismillah Khan라이브 바카라 house, where the sitar maestro lived and practiced

Namo Ghat
Namo Ghat | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

The NaMo Ghat in Varanasi

A saadhu
A saadhu | Photo: Tribhuvan Tiwari/바카라

An old saadhu in a gully in Varanasi

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