Varanasi, April 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi prayed for the happiness and well-being of the citizens while offering prayers at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The Prime Minister visited the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, where he participated in traditional rituals accompanied by Vedic chants.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Har Har Mahadev! I was fortunate to have darshan and perform pooja at Baba Vishwanath Temple in Kashi. Here, I prayed to Lord Bholenath for happiness, prosperity, and a healthy life for all citizens of the country.”

He also offered prayers to Goddess Annapurna and Goddess Ganga during his visit.

“The darshan of Maa Annapurna and Maa Ganga brought immense peace. May their grace infuse positive energy in everyone! Salutations once again to the people of Kashi,” the Prime Minister added.

Upon his arrival at the temple, the Prime Minister received a warm welcome, marked by the sounds of ‘Damru beats’ and ‘shanknaad.’

During the visit, he performed the ‘arti’ and ‘Abhishek’ for Lord Shiva, seeking blessings.

The Prime Minister was gifted a ‘Trishul’ and ‘Damru’ by the administration as he visited the ancient temple.

The crowd cheered ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, and ‘Om Namah Parvati Pataye, Har Har Mahadev’, as PM Modi greeted everyone present on the temple premises. Children, filled with excitement, crossed the barricades to greet the Prime Minister with smiling faces.

Later in the day, he will arrive in Hardoi to inaugurate the Ganga Expressway built for Rs 36,230 crore. He will also address a gathering there.

The inauguration of the Ganga Expressway will mark a significant milestone in the development of world-class infrastructure in the country.​

The Ganga Expressway is a 594-kilometre-long, 6-lane (expandable to 8 lanes) access-controlled greenfield high-speed corridor, built at a total cost of around Rs 36,230 crore, according to an official statement.​

The expressway traverses 12 districts – Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj-thereby connecting Western, Central, and Eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh through a single seamless high-speed corridor.​

The project is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from the current 10-12 hours to approximately 6 hours, enhancing ease of movement and transportation efficiency, said the statement.​

A key highlight of the project is the provision of a 3.5 km-long Emergency Landing Facility (airstrip) in Shahjahanpur district. This dual-use infrastructure enhances national security preparedness and adds strategic value beyond economic benefits, it said.​

The Ganga Expressway is envisioned as a major economic corridor, with the development of Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Corridors over approximately 2,635 hectares across the 12 districts along its alignment.​

The expressway will reduce logistics costs, improve supply chain efficiency, and boost manufacturing competitiveness, the statement said.​

Improved connectivity will provide farmers with direct access to urban and export markets, facilitating better price realisation and strengthening rural incomes.​

The project is also expected to boost tourism, unlock new economic opportunities, and generate direct and indirect employment across the region, the statement said.​

The Ganga Expressway will also serve as a backbone for a broader expressway network in the state, with several link corridors either operational or planned, including the Agra–Lucknow Expressway, Jewar Link Expressway, Farrukhabad Link Expressway, and the proposed extension from Meerut to Haridwar.​

This emerging expressway grid will expand high-speed road connectivity across Uttar Pradesh from East to West and from North to South, enabling balanced regional development.​

The Ganga Expressway is not merely a transportation project but a transformative initiative that will reduce logistics costs, attract industrial investment, boost agricultural and rural incomes, generate employment, and drive holistic economic growth across the state, the statement said.​

–IANS

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