In the year 2025, the ancient Kashi Vishwanath city witnessed the arrival of a record number of more than 7 crore 26 lakh tourists. The UP government claimed that Varanasi, a spiritual city, has now become a hub of global tourism.
A press release, issued by the state’s information department, claimed that the construction of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, the beautification of the Ganga Ghats, ancient temples, roads, and the development of tourist facilities has helped attract tourists. Thousands of youths also reached Kashi to celebrate the New Year.
“Following the construction of the magnificent Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi and the renovation of the Ganga Ghats and temples, the number of tourists visiting Kashi has increased significantly. According to the Tourism Department, in 2025, 72,676,780 tourists visited different Ghats and various temples of Kashi” the release said.
The release made it clear that the figure also includes the 28.7 million devotees who visited the Pralat Pravah (reversal flow) of the Prayagraj Mahakumbh. After taking a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam, they also visited Kashi Vishwanath, the release said.
Moreover, the highest number of devotees visited Kashi Vishwanath during the Mahashivratri festival and the holy month of Sawan. The Temple Management Committee and the Kashi administration had made special arrangements.
The release claimed that a large crowd gathered at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Ganga Ghats during the New Year celebrations. “Between December 24, 2025, and January 1, 2026, 3,075,769 devotees visited Kashi Vishwanath,” the release mentioned.
Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, said that this is a positive sign fort for Sanatan culture, a haven of celebration, enthusiasm, and joy. “All festivals around the world find their culmination in Sanatan beliefs. Celebrations often reflect the behaviour of the people in power. Therefore, it is natural that in today’s times, on every festival, whether Indian or Western, the flow of devotees to the centres of Sanatan faith is unprecedented,” he said.
