The holy city of Kashi accorded a red carpet welcome to Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba when he arrived here on Sunday, along with his wife Arzu Rana Deuba.
Though several heads of Nepalese government, including prime ministers, have visited Kashi in recent times, this visit of Deuba is considered as a revival of Indo-Nepal relations as in the past, due to increasing influence of China on this Himalayan country the ties between India and Nepal had soured to some extent.
After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi a day ago, the visit of Deuba to the parliamentary constituency of Modi is an indication of an improvement in bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.
During his six-hour-long stay in Kashi, the Nepalese prime minister, along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, not only offered prayers at Kal Bhairav, Kashi Vishwanath temple and Pashupatinath Mahadev mandir but also laid the foundation stone of Shri Pashupatinath Briddhashram (old age home) at Lalita Ghat.
Kashi and Kathmandu have centuries old relations as till a few decades ago most of the top politicians of Nepal had their higher education in Banaras Hindu University. Kashi was the favourite destination of several top leaders of the Koirala family. Even in the 1990s, when for the first time the Communist Party of Nepal led by Man Mohan Adhikari, gave a new twist to the relations between the two traditionally, culturally and socially close countries, he had a connection with the city as he had learnt his first lesson of communism from local comrade Rustom Satin.
Not only this, even today a good number of Nepalese families live in a locality known as Nepali Kapada close to Kashi Vishwanath Corridor (KVC) and there is a direct flight between Varanasi and Kathmandu for a long time.
When Deuba landed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur in the morning, the chief minister and other dignitaries welcomed him. Schoolchildren holding Indian and Nepalese flags greeted Deuba at the airport. Later, hundreds of artistes presented different folk music and dances at the airport’s gate No 2, Sarai Kazi, Tarna, Gillet Bazar, Police Lines, Chaukaghat, Lahurabir, Maidagin, Kail Bhairav, Chowk and KVC apart from Ambedkar crossing and Taj Hotel presenting Mayur, Adhivasi, Natvari, Faruwahi, Dhobia and other dances apart from welcoming the visiting guests by presenting shehnai and damrus.
After reaching Kal Bhairav temple, the Nepalese prime minister offered aarti and then they visited the KVC where he and his wife performed Rudrabhishek. They also watched a short-documentary showing the history of the KVC.
When the Nepalese prime minister reached Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, he was welcomed with showering of flower petals and beats of 'damru'. Besides, various artistes performed traditional dances to welcome him. Later, Deuba visited Pashupatinath Mahadev temple at Lalita Ghat and laid the foundation stone of the briddhashram. He also held a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
It was not only the first foreign visit of Deuba since he assumed charge as Nepal prime minister for the fifth time in July last year, it was also the first visit of top foreign dignitary to the KVC since it was inaugurated on December 13 last.
Pashupatinath Mahadev temple at Lalita Ghat here is a replica of the famous Pashupatinath temple of Kathmandu which is also known as Nepal Mandir or Kathwala Mandir because it was built with wood in the 19th century by the royal family of Nepal when the then King of Nepal Rana Bahadur Shah took exile in this holy city from 1800 to 1804. It took almost two decades and was completed by the son of stepbrother of Rana Bahadur Shah. The land of the temple and adjacent dharamshala was later on transferred to the Nepal royal family by the then Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Banaras).