Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated one of the holiest Hindu temples on Monday, and his administration has been spending millions of dollars to create many others, boosting tourism and his appeal within the majority group ahead of elections.
The federal government has invested almost $120 million in developing dozens of Hindu pilgrimage sites over the past decade, including a $6 billion project in Ayodhya where Modi inaugurated the first phase of a Ram Temple. Additional financing is anticipated.
More than 130 million people have visited the Hindu pilgrimage site of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on the banks of the Ganges in Modi’s Varanasi constituency since its opening in 2021, according to government figures.
Varanasi, which, like Ayodhya, is in India’s most populated state of Uttar Pradesh and one of the world’s oldest living cities, had a yearly footfall of less than 7 million before that.
According to analysts, tourism income for villagers and hotels in Varanasi has increased by up to 65% since Hindus believe in attaining salvation and liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth via death.
Tourism generates around $200 billion in revenue, accounting for approximately 7% of India’s GDP, which is up to 5 percentage points lower than the majority of large emerging and developed economies.
The new temple, as well as many other upgrades, are expected to significantly boost Modi’s Hindu nationalist party’s electoral prospects, as he seeks a rare third consecutive term in general elections in May. The opening on Monday fulfilled a decades-old political commitment made by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).