In the months before Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in (KVC) Varanasi in March, 2019, the state government had fought court cases and simultaneously held conciliatory talks with the affected parties who were against the project.

Seven major high-level meetings were held between the state government officials and the aggrieved shopkeepers, house owners and others. The contentious issues were several including the city losing its rich heritage and the compensation paid to them.

Within three years, Modi inaugurated the KVC on December 13, 2021.The historic Kashi Vishwanath Temple was connected to the Ganga through four pathways. It was Modi’s dream project.

Now, the government is rolling out yet another ambitious project – the Banke Bihari temple corridor (BBTC) in Vrindavan town of Mathura district in western UP, connecting the ancient temple with the Yamuna river. The idea was mooted in the first tenure of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is now hopeful of completing it in his second term, provided there is either an amicable settlement or legal validation.

The Sevayat Goswamis, the serving priests in the ancient temple, have moved the Supreme Court. The petitioner, Devendra Nath Goswami, informed the court that he was the lineal descendent of the Banke Bihari temple’s founder Swami Hari Das Goswami and that his family has managed the affairs of the temple for 500 years.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on his behalf, has submitted that “a fund of ₹300 crore has been given to the Uttar Pradesh government without making us, the Goswamis, the party”. He also argued that the Supreme Court had, in its May 15 verdict, allowed the UP government to use the temple fund without making the Goswamis a party.

The Supreme Court, on May 15, 2025, had allowed the UP government to use ₹500 crore........

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