Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that today's India was focusing both on retrieving the glory of the nation but modernizing the country as well and "no matter how big the challenge is, we Indians know how to defeat it.".

Speaking after inaugurating the highly publicised 450 mn USD Kashi Vishwanath Corridor - linking the ancient temple complex to the Ganga river held sacred by Hindus - project at his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, Modi said, "Today's new India is not only constructing the temple at Ayodhya but also constructing medical colleges in every district. Today's new India is not only renovating Kashi Vishwanath Dham but also building pukka houses for our poor."

"Today's India not only beautifies the Somnath temple but is also laying optical fibres in the sea. Today's India is not only renovating the Baba Kedarnath temple but is excelling in the space projects," he added.

  Lauding the resilience of India's civilisational heritage, Modi said that tyrants like Aurangzeb tried to destroy it but were consigned to "black pages" of history while the ancient holy city of Kashi (Varanasi) is writing a new chapter of its glory, PTI news agency added. 

The new India is proud of its culture and also has confidence on its ability, he said. 

According to The Indian Express, Modi has been on an inauguration spree ahead of local assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh next year, an election that is being seen by political analysts as a bellwether for national elections in 2024. He has recently unveiled the Saryu Canal National Project in Balrampur district and the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway in India's most populous and politically consequential state. 
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The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, said to be Modi’s dream project, has been built over an area of 5,000 hectares, and seeks to not only decongest but also transform the temple complex, a major pilgrimage site for Hindus. The Rs-800-crore project was launched by Modi in his parliamentary constituency in March 2019, with the aim of restoring the “lost glory” of the spiritual centre which was once allegedly destroyed by Mughal invaders. 

Modi said the whole new complex of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building, but a symbol of the “Sanatan culture” of India, our spiritual soul and India’s antiquity and traditions. The temple area here, which was only 3000 square feet, has now spread to about 500,000 square feet, Modi said. Now 50,000-75,000 devotees can come to the temple premises, he added. 

Before inaugurating the ₹ 339 crore project, Modi had greeted the hundreds of labourers who were involved in the construction of the prestigious revival project and showered them with flowers and later had lunch with them along with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (SAM)