In view of the Sawan month that begins on Monday, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Kaushal Raj Sharma, Commissioner of Varanasi Division, to discuss the facilities and security arrangements for devotees visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The meeting, held on Sunday, was attended by Additional Commissioner of Police S.S. Chinnappa, DCP Security Suryakant Tripathi, Chief Executive Officer of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Vishwa Bhushan, ADM Protocol Prakash Chandra, ADCP Mamta, senior CRPF officers, relevant Assistant Commissioners of Police, other PAC officers, and all concerned officers of the Trust and magistrates posted for duty, according to a press release.
During the meeting, the Commissioner directed all departments to coordinate and ensure the effective implementation of basic facilities for devotees, including drinking water, medical management, crowd management, and overall cleanliness of the temple.
For security, instructions were given to ensure the smooth operation of electrical equipment and CCTV and to secure hanging electrical wires in the streets outside the temple.
This year, several innovations have been introduced for security and convenience during Sawan. Residents of Kashi will have darshan facilities from 4 am to 5 am and ‘jhanki’ darshan from gate 4B (Kashi Dwar) from 4 am to 5 pm, except on Sawan Mondays and festival days. This gate will be available for all Kashi residents, including regular visitors, on normal days, except during special days.
Entry through this gate will be based on an Aadhaar card with a registered Kashi address, a voter ID card, or other acceptable identification; no payment-based entry pass will be required.
This year, gate 4A (via Silko Gali) will be used for entry towards Maidagin, before gate 4, for darshan.
Additionally, arrangements have been made to accommodate an extra crowd at the Saraswati Park ramp to ease congestion at the Saraswati Gate entrance during peak times. The entry route features a zigzag arrangement with shade to protect from the heat. Where German hangers cannot be installed, awnings have been provided for the first time.
Live darshan of Kashi Vishwanath Mahadev’s darshan-pujan will be available for the first time this Sawan month. The live stream will be accessible via the temple trust’s website, its official YouTube channel, and broadcast partner Tata Sky’s platform.
New measures include tying barricade logs on both the top and bottom of the zigzag railings to prevent defacement due to crowd pressure. Railings have also been installed on steep stairs from the ghat side for the safety and convenience of devotees.
Industrial air coolers will be used to provide relief from humidity and heat to devotees standing in line. Regular provisions of cold drinking water, medical management, ORS, and glucose will also be available.
Sawan, typically falling between July and August, is a period dedicated to worship, fasting, and pilgrimage in honour of Lord Shiva. It is believed that during this month, Lord Shiva consumed the poison from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), saving the universe from its toxic effects. Devotees fast and pray to seek Shiva’s blessings, while the cooling rains symbolize his compassion and benevolence.
With Inputs From ANI
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