Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Varanasi on Saturday to lay the foundation stone of an international cricket stadium.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) revealed that PM Modi will also take part in the closing ceremony of the Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre. Additionally, he will inaugurate 16 Atal residential schools that have been constructed throughout Uttar Pradesh.
A statement from the PMO said the cricket stadium project in Varanasi, which happens to be Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency, represents a significant stride towards the realisation of his vision to develop modern, world-class sports infrastructure.
New international cricket stadium in Varanasi
The stadium will be built in Ganjari, Rajatalab at a cost of about Rs 450 crore in an area of over 30 acres. Its thematic design features elements such as crescent-shaped roof covers, trident-shaped floodlights, and seating arrangements resembling ghat steps, taking inspiration from Lord Shiva. It is set to have the capacity to host up to 30,000 spectators.
It is to have galleries fashioned like ghats and huge motifs of ‘bilva patra’ in metallic frames. The pavilion and the VIP lounge will be in the shape of a damru.
Larsen and Tourbo (L&T) has designed the stadium and its drawings have been finalised, CricTracker reported. Next, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) will be approving the project and get no-objection certificates from various departments, including forest and groundwater.
On September 23, several star cricket players will be gracing the foundation laying ceremony with their presence. This includes cricket legends of the 1983 World Cup, including Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, Madan Lal, Gundappa Vishwanath, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Karsan Ghavri, Roger Binny, The Times of India reported. Sachin Tendulkar and BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla and secretary Jai Shah will also be there.