Varanasi: Solar water taxi to ferry devotees to Kashi Vishwanath Dham
Varanasi: The district administration plans to launch a solar water taxi service in April 2023. This solar taxi service will run between Ravidas Ghat and Namo Ghat via Vishwanath Dham.…
Varanasi: The district administration plans to launch a solar water taxi service in April 2023. This solar taxi service will run between Ravidas Ghat and Namo Ghat via Vishwanath Dham. Devotees will travel to the Dham via waterways, where they will be able to perform puja and darshan conveniently and affordably. A taxi will be available every hour. To get to Kashi Vishwanath Dham, devotees won't need to go through the crowded streets of Godaulia and Maidagin.
The administration has started working on the project to connect Kashi Vishwanath Dham through waterways in order to implement the plan of devotees' entry through Ganga Dwar. By April 2023, two solar-powered water taxis will ferry the devotees to Kashi Vishwanath Dham. A divider will be made through a jetty in order to identify the waterway that will be used for solar water taxi service.
To run this solar taxi service under a public-private partnership model, options are being explored. A plan to run solar water taxis through the tourism division is also being considered to operate these 20–30 seat solar water taxis.
Between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, a similar water taxi to the one planned for the Ganga is already in operations. Varanasi will be the second city in the country to offer water taxi service.
Kashi Vishwanath Dham will be connected to waterways by a jetty that will be built at Lalita Ghat. The survey and other procedures have already been started by the district administration. The jetty's location has been determined. Only this jetty will be used for solar water taxi operations. The stretch of Ganga will be divided into two lanes and the route will be strictly monitored. All boats, cruises, and other boats will sail through this planned route. Boats entering the wrong lane will be penalised.
The facilities at Kashi Vishwanath Dham will be upgraded soon, according to Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma. In another two months, additional structures, eateries, and cafes will become functuonal.
