In under two months, Delhi is set to welcome a new place of worship for devotees eager to offer prayers to the sacred Yamuna River daily. The upcoming Vasudev Ghat, situated on the western banks of the river opposite Kashmere Gate ISBT, is in its final stages of development. The highlight of this project will be the daily Yamuna aarti, mirroring the famous Ganga aarti held in Varanasi.
The Delhi Development Authority is overseeing the project, which encompasses the construction of a ghat, a pedestrian walkway, a bathing area, and Charbagh-style landscaping with pavilion-like structures called baradaris and canopies known as chhatris.
On Monday evening, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena participated in a religious event at Vasudev Ghat, where he offered prayers at a replica of the newly constructed temple of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Notably, structures such as baradaris, chhatris, and two elephants made of pink sandstone have already been installed, along with a substantial 300kg bell.
The development of Vasudev Ghat is part of a broader initiative to restore the Yamuna floodplain on both sides of the river. Covering a stretch of 1.5km from Yudhishtir Setu in the north to Nigambodh Ghat in the south, a total of 16 hectares of the floodplain are being transformed with extensive landscaping, drawing inspiration from the development of Yamuna Vatika, Baansera, and Asita along the river.
The new ghat will feature stairs leading down to the riverbank, providing a space for people to sit and enjoy the river. The riverfront of the ghat is expected to be approximately 150 meters long.
While construction on Vasudev Ghat began last year, progress was significantly hampered by the Yamuna floods in August. A thick layer of silt, about one and a half feet deep, accumulated around the baradaris and other structures at the ghat. The subsequent cleanup delayed the project, but officials assure that the work is now progressing steadily, and they hope to have the ghat ready for aarti within the next few weeks.
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