Prime Minister Narender Modi on Monday  invoked  millennia-old  cultural and spiritual heritage of  the revamped Shri Adi Kashi Vishwanath Dham and urged every Indian to move forward in "their own innovative way towards their dream of making  India  self-reliant". 

Apart from inauguration of his favourite Kashi Vishwanath Dham project in Varanasi, his home Lok Sabha constituency, Prime Minister  will later  preside over the  Chief Minsters’ Conclave of BJP-ruled states there to chart a "united strategy for the coming poll battles in UP, Uttarakhand, Goa, Himachal, Haryana, Punjab  and other states next year"  in the  ancient pilgrimage city.  

Addressing the gathering of saints and sadhus and public while inaugurating  the revamped Kashi Vishwanath Dham project in Varanasi, his home Lok Sabha constituency, Prime Minister  Modi said the  project is the hard work of  countless individuals. Kashi Vishwanath Dham project has added to Kashi’s spiritual vibrancy, he said.

Striking chord with public from different persuasions and faiths, Modi traced quaint old journey of the Kashi Vishwanath from the Puraan and ancient texts down to the contribution of rulers from south and western, north and other parts of India including Sikh Gurus, Saint Ravidas, Saint  Kabir, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Subramaniam Bharti   and rulers mainly Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who had donated  23 ‘manah’ of gold to the Kashi Vishwanath.  

Prime Minister said the great Adi Shankaracharya had made monumental contributions towards preserving our culture and civilizational ethos.  

Prime Minister said Kashi Vishwanath is a symbol of its timeless contribution to civilization.  The revamped beautiful Ghats and premises of Kashi are not only a symbol of its beautiful temple architecture, but these are a symbol of India’s Sanatan dharam, cultural and spiritual energy and tradition.

Modi said he got an opportunity to honour workers of the Dham project and had lunch with them.  

Modi said Adi Vishwanath would bless every Indian so that efforts of each Indian would help realize the dream of self-reliance.

Modi said the symbol of terror has been consigned to the pages of history. Every Indian should recognize this and move forward with confidence in an innovative way, he said.

Modi paid tributes to Adi Shankaracharya and the Bharat Mata in revamped premises of the Dham saying that they will remind every Indian of the power of duty towards the nation.  He also took a dip in the Holy Ganga  and participated in the evening Aaarti (prayer).

Chief Ministers from the BJP ruled states including UP’s Yogi Adityanath, Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur,  Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Dhami, Arunachal Pradesh’s  Pema Khandu, Haryana’s  Manohar Lal Khattar, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma and others from other states participated in the evening prayers.

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu tweeted it was a lifetime opportunity to witness aarti at Kashi along with honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and my colleague Chief Ministers and deputy chief ministers from the BJP-ruled states.