On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi’s roadshow in Varanasi was 14 kilometers long and attracted huge numbers of people before he went to pray at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. One hundred and eight young priests welcomed him with the sounds of conch shells and people showered the procession with flowers. Now he is going to Hardoi to open the 594 kilometer Ganga Expressway.
Roadshow draws crowds across Varanasi
BJP leaders stated the roadshow began at the Banaras Locomotive Works and went through Lahartara, Kachahri, Ambedkar Chauraha, Chaukaghat, Teliyabag, Lahurabir and Maidagin, finally ending at Kashi Vishwanath Dham. People from the party and locals stood along the route and danced to the beat of drums and traditional music.
Party organizers said that the motorcade was greeted at many places with rose petals and conch shells. Modi acknowledged his supporters throughout the procession by waving and putting his hands together in a greeting. Leaders said this event was one of the biggest roadshows the city has ever seen.
According to party functionaries, the procession covered these key stretches:
– Banaras Locomotive Works to Lahartara
– Kachahri and Ambedkar Chauraha
– Chaukaghat and Teliyabag
– Lahurabir to Maidagin and Kashi Vishwanath Dham
Ritual welcome at Kashi Vishwanath Temple
At the temple entrance, 108 young boys (batuks) greeted the Prime Minister with ceremonial blowing of conch shells. He then prayed at the shrine of Lord Vishwanath. While he was at the temple, he was holding a trident and a damru, which highlighted the religious traditions of the temple.
Ganga Expressway inauguration in Hardoi
After the temple, officials say the Prime Minister will drive to the airport and fly to Hardoi with Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He is expected to arrive at 11am to open the Ganga Expressway, look at an exhibition from UPEIDA, plant young trees, and speak to a large crowd of people.
Officials say this new fast road is expected to greatly improve connections, and give a boost to industrial investment, the movement of goods, selling of farm produce, and the growth of the area. Yogi Adityanath said the expressway will begin a new era of progress for the state, and called it a vital link. Pankaj Chaudhary, a Union Minister, said it is a major infrastructural improvement and a gift to the people.
Officials outlined the expressway’s design and reach:
– 594-km corridor linking Meerut to Prayagraj
– Connects 12 districts across western and central UP
– Six-lane, PPP model, expandable to eight lanes
– Designed speed up to 120 kmph
– 3.2-km airstrip near Shahjahanpur
– ITMS, CCTV, emergency call boxes onboard
– Ambulances and highway patrolling units deployed
– Linked with Purvanchal, Agra-Lucknow, Bundelkhand, Gorakhpur Link
– IMLCs planned with warehouses and cold storage
Day one announcements and messaging
On the first day of his visit, Modi opened and started construction on 163 projects worth 6350 crore rupees. He went to the Nari Shakti Vandan Conference which had about 50,000 women there, and 44 women from politics, self-help groups and healthcare were on the stage.
When he spoke to the crowd, he said the Samajwadi Party and Congress have failed women and promised that women’s reservation rights would be fully implemented. This is Modi’s 54th visit to Varanasi in eleven years and his first in 2026; he visited last in November 2025.
Impact and next steps
After the temple ceremonies and the roadshow, the opening in Hardoi will emphasize the focus of the visit on infrastructure. Officials say the expressway will make journeys faster and safer. They also think it will create a lot of jobs and help Uttar Pradesh reach its goal of having a one trillion dollar economy.
