One of the 7 wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal in Agra, is considered an epitome of love built by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz. But, it’s also a fact in recorded history that the then Mughal ruler had severed the hands of the artisans who built the monument so that they wouldn’t make anything as grand as the Taj.

Cut to 2021, the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor was a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and during his recent visit to the temple down of Benaras (Varanasi), he showered petals on the labourers who worked on the project.

The dissimilarity in the two eras is a marquee moment in the way PM Modi values the citizens of the country, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Thursday.

“On one hand, Taj Mahal workers’ hands were chopped off, and then there is PM Modi who showered flowers on the workers who were behind the development of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor to express his gratitude,” Tomar said in Gujarat’s Anand.

Tomar said that “there was a time when India was overlooked but today no country’s agenda is fulfilled without India’s consensus”.

PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 13 had lunch with the construction workers of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor. 

Before the lunch, PM Modi showered floral petals on a group of workers as a gesture of gratitude for their service.

The new 50-feet wide Corridor has been envisioned to facilitate movement of pilgrims between the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the two iconic Ghats of Ganga — Manikarnika and Lalita.