Long-awaited revival

The renovation of Kashi Vishwanath Mandir complex and the launch of the first phase of the corridor appears to be at the confluence of many diverse sets of entities — politics and religion, tradition and science, aesthetic and cleanliness, culture and civilization etc. The 800-crore Kashi Vishwanath Project is aimed at bringing back the lost glory of India. The launch of the first phase of the overall project has grabbed national spotlight with the Prime Minister being at the center of events. Kashi Vishwanath temple originally spanned across a geographical area of around 3,000 sq ft. Under the current project, an envisaged expansion to around 5.5 lakh sq ft complex is to take place. The inauguration was held with superfluous grandeur and extraordinary publicity. The effort, apparently, was to connect to a large mass of people. It was obvious. The entire fabric of Varanasi is woven around the existence of the central binding force of Shiva — whom the city dwellers consider as much a god as one among them (but supreme). For the science says the existence of gods is not a reality, Shiva is an energy reverberating across the length and breadth of the city. The existence of Shiva, or at least a belief of the same, is very much part of the culture and civilization of Varanasi. However, at the same time, it is also almost an indisputable fact that the rejuvenation of the temple and construction of the corridor is as much a political goal as it is civilizational, cultural or religious. India's largest and the most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, is all set to go to polls in February next year. The Bharatiya Janata Party must be keen on consolidating its foothold ahead of the polls. But it has to be acknowledged that the civilizational aspect of the project far crosses the political aspect. Building and rejuvenating temples has always been at the core of BJP's ideology. The very aim to regain the lost glory implies the prevalence of an idea of loss — which partly refers to a certain era of Muslim rule in India. How far these notions are correct or wrong is another debate but building upon a nation's cultural legacy is certainly a good thing to go with. The government's effort to revive and beautify the symbols and substance of India's profound cultural heritage deserves an applause. But this idea will give optimum results only if it is materialized in a holistic manner — encompassing the extraordinarily vast ambit of Indian culture which is shaped by the existence of a diverse set of religions. Through the prism of Hindutva, one is able to see only a limited fraction of the beauty and elegance that Indian culture holds. In reviving India's culture, our approach, though correct, is sadly truncated. While culture of a society roots it to its origins, the civilization refers to the continuity of the originated form — perhaps with all the evolutions and gains it has earned through the centuries. Culture and civilization are so intricately linked that they can never be parted with each other. Separating the origin from continuity or evolution will only kill the both. It is so because culture and civilization are sustaining forces for each other and both are dynamic — they keep changing each other. While one can claim that Hindutva was primarily at the center of Indian culture, in reality, Indian civilization has been a magnificent blend of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism etc. Through gaining this diversity, Indian civilization has done what it is supposed to do — it has enriched Indian culture all throughout. Perhaps, reiterating the same richness of Indian culture, the Prime Minister has time and again displayed his respect towards India's evolved culture. In fact, towering Indian leaders have been since time immemorial putting this wisdom in the public sphere. This message must percolate to the masses and different levels of the government. The smooth and quick rejuvenation of Kashi Vishwanath corridor is a spectacle in the making. The world shall behold it with respect and dignity towards Indian culture. The unhindered execution of the rejuvenation plan presents a hope that similar treatment can be given to all other cultural symbols — irrespective of the era they had been brought into existence. It must also be pointed out that governments must master the art of doing maximum with limited finances because there is a plethora of cultural sites across India that await their turn. Of course, the gains expected from the tourism sector may compensate for a part of the incurred cost, but that is still a thing of the future. The government must aim at saving the most it can to bring people out of the misery they've gone through the pandemic. They are the ones who are currently in the process of giving Indian civilization, and hence culture, a new outlook, a new form.