Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, October 11
After the grand Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday unveil a similar project in the holy city of Ujjain.
Modi will dedicate to the nation the first phase of Rs 856-crore Mahakaleshwar Temple corridor–an over 900-metre-long corridor called ‘Mahakal Lok’.
The corridor skirts around the old Rudrasagar Lake, which has been revived as part of the redevelopment project around the ancient Shiva temple.
Two gateways, Nandi Dwar and Pinaki Dwar, have been erected near the starting point of the corridor, which winds its way to the temple’s entrance.
As many as 108 ornate pillars made of intricately carved sandstones, gushing fountains and a running panel of more than 50 murals depicting stories from the ‘Shiv Puran’ are among the major highlights of the Mahakal Lok which also has statues and murals of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti, among other religious figures.
The state government has made elaborate preparations for the grand event with the Congress claiming credit for the renovation of the corridor.
Asserting that the construction began under the Kamal Nath government, Congress leaders said the temple was renovated because of his efforts. The BJP dismissed the claim saying the strategy was planned in 2017 when Shivraj Singh Chauhan was chief minister.
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