India’s ancient city of Varanasi is clearing the way for a grand temple corridor by razing hundreds of houses, wiping away its oldest neighborhood and upsetting locals. The aim is to improve accessibility for pilgrims by providing a direct pathway from the Ganges river to the 18th-century shrine of Lord Shiva, the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Some 300 homes have been earmarked for demolition but locals, whose families have lived in the area for generations, say some of the properties being destroyed are as old as the temple itself. “But Banaras (Varanasi) is defined by its galis (narrow lanes), and by creating this corridor, he is robbing Banaras of its very identity.”Local resident Ajay Kapoor hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose constituency is Varanasi. The $85,000 demolition project has also unearthed several ancient temples, statues, and historic buildings, prompting debate on how best to preserve these whilst constructing the corridor.

Source: Egypt Independent January 09, 2019 05:15 UTC