Renovation work of Manikarnika Ghat in Kashi gains momentum

An old idol allegedly broken during renovation
8 people arrested for creating fake AI photos and circulating them on social media

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) – A large-scale renovation work is currently underway at Manikarnika Ghat in Kashi. Allegedly, some old structures have been broken, and idols have been damaged due to this. Photographs of damaged structures have been circulated on social media, due to which the Uttar Pradesh Government is facing criticism. In this case, on the orders of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Police have arrested 8 people for circulating fake photographs.

1. According to the Government, Manikarnika Ghat is being developed with world-class facilities. Rs 35 crores have been sanctioned for the first phase. The plan includes building a large platform, which will allow multiple bodies to be cremated simultaneously in a more systematic and dignified manner. The administration claims that all this work is being done keeping in mind the religious sentiments.

2. A square was removed as part of the work on Manikarnika Marg. A controversy erupted after pictures of some idols falling from the site were circulated on social media. The opposition parties criticized the Government over this. After the controversy escalated, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself visited Manikarnika Ghat and inspected the work. He took complete information from the officials and saw the progress of the work. He clearly stated that no temple or idol was damaged.

3. Yogi Adityanath said, “The propaganda currently being spread on social media is misleading and some of the pictures are made using AI (Artificial Intelligence), hence they are giving wrong information to the people. The claims that temples have been destroyed or idols have been damaged are rumours. The Government will never insult the faith and heritage of Kashi.”

Current form of Manikarnika Ghat

Manikarnika Tirtha is located on the side of the Kashi Corridor. Here, many temples like Masan Temple, Tarakeshwar Temple and Ratneshwar Temple are still preserved in their original form. Only a square of Manikarnika Ghat and some old structures have been removed. They had to be removed to make new panels.

Allegations of priests at the ghat

The priests at the ghat and the local priests are not entirely happy with the move. According to them, the madhi was not a temple, yet the idol on it and its presence were linked to people’s faith. The priests said that they are not against development; but the heritage could have been preserved without destroying it.

Reason for the development of Manikarnika Tirtha

The funeral arrangements at Manikarnika Ghat had been in disarray for a long time. Vishwanath Chaudhary (Dom Raja) had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop Manikarnika Tirtha after the ‘Kashi Corridor’; because people coming for funerals were facing great difficulty due to narrow roads, wooden shops, dirt and lack of space. The situation was even worse during the monsoon, because ashes used to reach the roads and houses. To solve these problems, the Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the development of Manikarnika Tirtha in 2023.

Proposed new Manikarnika Tirtha

The responsibility of this project lies with ‘Roop Foundation’. The project manager said that the entire platform will be 3,950 sq.m. in size and the work will be completed in 4 phases. After the project is completed, 19 bodies can be cremated simultaneously, and many facilities will be provided for the relatives.