Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi on Wednesday, where he participated in traditional rituals accompanied by Vedic chants. The visit included offering prayers to Lord Shiva through aartis and abhishek, drawing large crowds of devotees who greeted him with chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Shri Ram.”

Upon arrival at the temple, the Prime Minister was welcomed with traditional sounds of damru beats and shankhnaad. He was also presented with symbolic religious items, including a trishul and damru, by temple authorities. During his visit, he interacted briefly with devotees and children gathered at the premises, with many attempting to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister amid tight security arrangements.

Following the temple visit, PM Modi proceeded to Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh for the inauguration of the ₹36,230 crore Ganga Expressway, a major infrastructure project aimed at transforming regional connectivity. The expressway is a 594-kilometre, six-lane access-controlled corridor that can be expanded to eight lanes, designed to improve high-speed travel across the state.

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The project passes through 12 districts, including Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Raebareli, and Prayagraj, linking western, central, and eastern Uttar Pradesh through a continuous transport corridor. Officials stated that the expressway will significantly reduce travel time between Meerut and Prayagraj from 10–12 hours to around 6 hours, improving efficiency in both passenger and freight movement.

A key feature of the project is a 3.5-kilometre emergency airstrip in Shahjahanpur, designed for dual-use purposes including national security operations. The expressway also includes integrated manufacturing and logistics corridors spanning more than 2,600 hectares, aimed at attracting industrial investment and boosting economic activity along its route. The government has projected that the expressway will strengthen rural and agricultural economies by improving market access for farmers, reducing logistics costs, and enhancing supply chain efficiency. It is also expected to generate employment opportunities and promote tourism across the connected districts.

Officials further described the Ganga Expressway as part of a broader expanding road network in Uttar Pradesh, linking with other major corridors such as the Agra–Lucknow Expressway and the Jewar Link Expressway. The project is being positioned as a key step toward building a high-speed, interconnected infrastructure grid intended to drive long-term regional development.

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