A packed day for the Prime Minister combines religious outreach in Varanasi with a major infrastructure push, as the Ganga Expressway promises faster travel and economic gains across Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi on Wednesday. | ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Wednesday morning, where he offered prayers and performed darshan during his visit to the city.
The visit comes ahead of a packed schedule that includes a mega roadshow in Varanasi and the inauguration of the Ganga Expressway later in the day, underlining both the political and development focus of the Prime Minister’s trip.
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At the temple, PM Modi participated in traditional rituals amid Vedic chants, performing ‘arti’ and ‘abhishek’ of Lord Shiva. He also offered prayers to Goddess Annapurna and Goddess Ganga.
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In a post on X, the Prime Minister 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 added, “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.”
Upon his arrival, the temple premises resonated with ‘damru’ beats and ‘shankhnaad’, while devotees chanted ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. The Prime Minister also received a ‘trishul’ and ‘damru’ as a token from the administration.
हर हर महादेव !
काशी में बाबा विश्वनाथ मंदिर में दर्शन और पूजन का सौभाग्य मिला। यहां भगवान भोलेनाथ से समस्त देशवासियों के लिए सुख-समृद्धि और आरोग्यपूर्ण जीवन की कामना की।
माँ अन्नपूर्णा एवं माँ गंगा के दर्शन से असीम शांति मिली। उनकी कृपा से हर किसी में सकारात्मक ऊर्जा का संचार… pic.twitter.com/68GTnogoZW
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2026
A large number of people gathered at Lahurabir crossing and along key routes in the city to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister. Several supporters raised slogans as Modi greeted people on the temple premises, with children also seen trying to reach closer to him.
Local BJP MLA Ravindra Jaiswal said Modi’s visits are often linked with new development announcements.
“Whenever PM Modi comes to Kashi, he announces new inaugurations before leaving… Today, he is going to seek (Kashi Vishwanath) Baba’s blessings… Today, the news spread that he is coming, and the people of Varanasi could not stop themselves and thronged the road to get a glimpse and greet him,” Jaiswal told ANI.
After the temple visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to travel to Hardoi to inaugurate the 594-km-long Ganga Expressway, a six-lane greenfield corridor expandable to eight lanes, built at a cost of Rs 36,230 crore. He will also address a public gathering there.
The expressway runs through 12 districts, including Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj, aiming to provide seamless high-speed connectivity across western, central and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Officials said the project is expected to significantly cut travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from 10-12 hours to around six hours, while also improving logistics and transport efficiency.
A key feature of the project is a 3.5-km emergency landing strip in Shahjahanpur, designed for defence use. Authorities said the expressway is expected to reduce logistics costs, boost manufacturing competitiveness, improve farm access to markets, and generate employment across the region.
The project is also expected to support the development of integrated manufacturing and logistics corridors across districts along its route, while improving connectivity for agriculture, industry and tourism.
Officials added that the Ganga Expressway will serve as part of a larger expressway network in Uttar Pradesh, linking with existing and planned corridors to enhance regional connectivity and economic growth.
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