Varanasi, January 2: A record number of tourists, devotees visited the Varanasi in the year 2025 following the construction of the grand Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and the renovation of the Ganga Ghats and various ancient temples.
According to the Tourism Department, in the year 2025, 7,26,76,780 tourists visited the picturesque ghats and temples of Kashi. This figure also includes the number of 2 crore 87 lakh devotees who came during the ‘Palat Pravah’ of the Prayagraj Mahakumbh, who visited Kashi Vishwanath after taking a holy bath in the Triveni Sangam during the Mahakumbh.
Furthermore, the highest number of people visited Kashi Vishwanath during the Mahashivratri festival and the holy month of Sawan, for which the Temple Management Committee and the Kashi administration had made special arrangements.
As per the Tourism department, over 3 million young people visited the temple town to celebrate the New Year. The wave of cultural renaissance that emerged during the tenure of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also increased devotion to religious sites and pilgrimage sites, especially among the younger generation.
A living example of this was the immense crowds that gathered at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Ganga Ghats during the New Year celebrations. Between December 24, 2025, and January 1, 2026, 3,075,769 devotees visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, stated that Sanatan culture is a haven for celebration, enthusiasm, and joy. All festivals around the world find their culmination in Sanatan beliefs. Celebrations often reflect the behavior of the people in the contemporary world. Therefore, it is natural that in contemporary times, on every festival, whether Indian or Western, the flow of devotees to centers of Sanatan faith is unprecedented. Additionally, due to the efforts of Chief Minister Yogi, Kashi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya are being developed as a sacred triangle, which is leading to a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting these pilgrimage sites.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s visionary approach has not only restored Varanasi as a spiritual city but also established it as a hub of global tourism. With the construction of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, the beautification of the Ganga ghats, ancient temples, roads and squares, and the extensive development of tourism facilities, evidence of this was evident in the year 2025. Last year, a record number of over 72.6 million tourists visited Shri Kashi Vishwanath. Among these, the highest number of devotees came during the Maha Kumbh Mela and Mahashivratri. Meanwhile, lakhs of young people also reached Kashi to celebrate the New Year.