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Indian Express
12-08-2025
- Indian Express
Plastic banned in Kashi Vishwanath Temple
After weeks of awareness drives for pilgrims and shopkeepers on the harmful effects of plastic, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple authorities have officially banned the entry of all plastic items inside the temple premises, declaring the area a completely plastic-free zone. Local vendors who were earlier selling flowers, holy water, sweets, and milk in plastic containers, have switched to bamboo baskets, cardboard boxes, trays, and small steel glasses. Cardboard is now used for sweets, while bamboo baskets hold flowers, diyas, and other pooja items. Varanasi sees 1–1.5 lakh visitors daily, rising to 2–2.5 lakh on weekends. During Sawan, the temple recorded about 10 lakh devotees. Clear instructions have been issued to temple and police staff to strictly enforce the ban. 'As of yesterday, no plastic is allowed inside the temple campus,' said Vishwa Bhushan, CEO of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir Trust, adding that bamboo baskets and steel glasses had been distributed to promote eco-friendly alternatives. Shopkeepers, however, said the transition was difficult due to old inventory. 'We have been using plastic baskets and pots for years, but in view of the government's initiative, we have now switched to bamboo, cardboard, and steel items,' said Raj Kumar Seth, a vendor for four decades. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shambhu Saran said the authorities will next remove plastic chairs, coolers, and other such items from the premises to fully align with the plastic-free goal. Last year, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation had banned shops within two kilometres of the temple.
Hindustan Times
11-08-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Kashi Vishwanath Dham declared plastic-free zone
– Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham has been officially declared a plastic-free zone from Monday. Devotees are now strictly prohibited from carrying any plastic items, including baskets and water containers, into the temple premises. Temple Trust chief executive officer Vishwa Bhushan Mishra and other officials create awareness about the plastic ban in and around the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. (Sourced) A team from the KV Temple administration, along with Temple Trust CEO Vishwa Bhushan, deputy collector Shambhu Saran, and the special executive officer, informed flower and garland sellers near gate no 4, Dhundhiraj Ganesh, and Mata Vishalakshi temple areas about the new rule. The temple trust stated that from August 11, entry with any kind of plastic will be completely restricted. The campaign has been running for a month as part of the ongoing effort to maintain cleanliness and protect the temple environment. As part of the 'Plastic Free Dham' initiative on August 7, MLA Neelkanth Tiwari, corporator Kanaklata Tiwari, and other council members distributed bamboo baskets and steel pots to encourage shopkeepers to adopt eco-friendly alternatives. The campaign began on July 12 with a public awareness drive launched during the Shravan month by Varanasi Nagar Nigam, with support from mayor Ashok Tiwari, municipal commissioner Akshat Verma, and KV Temple officials. The temple trust has appealed to all devotees, vendors, and local residents to support the initiative and help keep the Dham clean, safe, and plastic-free. 'The entry of plastic in Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises has been completely banned from today, August 11. From today, the entire Kashi Vishwanath Dham has been declared plastic free. This has been implemented in a phased manner,' said Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust's chief executive officer, Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, in a video message.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Video shows role of Chettiar community in Kashi Vishwanath Temple traditions
Varanasi: released a special video on Thursday, highlighting one of the many vibrant traditions that have continued for centuries in Kashi. For nearly 250 years, the from Tamil Nadu regularly supplied items for the aarti (ritual offering) at .Chief executive officer of the trust, Vishwa Bhushan, said that to underscore this historical and cultural tradition, a 59-second special video was released. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The video is available in Hindi, English and Tamil to ensure the message reached all parts of the country and instilled pride in this eternal tradition. He said Kashi was known as 'Mini India' because temples and traditions from all parts of the country were revered in Kashi. It stands as the strongest example of unity in diversity. In today's time, when national unity was being repeatedly emphasised, the video transcended regional and linguistic differences to convey message of unity by Sanatan Dharma identity, he 59-second video was designed specially to be shared via WhatsApp, mobile statuses and social media. SKVT Trust aims for more and more people to know about this historic tradition and draw inspiration from it. "The short film was produced recently, but was released officially on Thursday amid the wave of national consciousness in the wave of Operation Sindoor," he said.
