Varanasi, located on the banks of the Ganges in northern India, plays an important role in Hindu rituals associated with death and sorrow. Traveling to the sacred land of Varanasi has been a tradition among Hindus for uncountable decades. It is one of India’s top tourist destinations because of the seamless integration of its spirituality, culture, and history.
Apart from temples there are many places in Varanasi where people can visit and make more of their trip. Many visitors to Varanasi come for the Ghats and temples, but the city also has a growing adventure tourism and sports industry. The city of Varanasi is undergoing rapid growth and improvement. After a slow beginning, the city’s planned, gradual development has picked up speed in recent years. Adding one more star to the development of Varanasi, it is now going to have an International Cricket Stadium. The stadium will be a boon for not only the visitors but also for the people living in this city.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to turn Varanasi into a new sports hub with everything needed. The construction of the third international cricket stadium in Uttar Pradesh will begin in May or June of the year 2023 in the city of Varanasi, which will come after the cities of Lucknow and Kanpur. With the building of an international-level cricket stadium in Varanasi, sports fans in both Purvanchal and nearby places will be very happy. If there is a cricket series in the country, games will be held at the BCCI field for sure. Because of this, most of the matches will be played in Varanasi. This will give people in Purvanchal more chances to play sports and get jobs.
Anurag Thakur, the Union Sports Minister, and Jai Shah came a month ago to Varanasi. They had seen few areas in Pindra (a place in Varanasi). But they rejected the entire place due to some reasons. According to them, there wasn’t enough space for an elite cricket stadium on that land. A little farther from the airport, two of the lands are surrounded by towns, while the third has a gas station. Finally, a place at Rajatalab, Varanasi is been selected for the construction of international stadium.
An international cricket stadium will soon be constructed in Rajatalab, Varanasi as the state government has purchased 31 acres of land. The land is being handed over to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA).
The proposal for the stadium’s construction was published on the website of UPCA, and it stated that the anticipated completion date for the stadium would be thirty months after building work had first begun. This area is surrounded by Ring Road and has wide roads that lead to the (planned) stadium. It is expected that building the new stadium will start in May or June of 2023, and that it should be finished by the end of 2024.
Around the stadium, there will be a chain of restaurants and a lot of job opportunities, etc. Varanasi has one five-star hotel, there will soon be new hotels, and some hotels are getting bigger.
The government is also building highways that are among the best in the state so that people can get to this international stadium that will be built in Ganjari easily. According to the report, to get to the Varanasi International Cricket Stadium, an 8-kilometer-long flyover will be built. It is expected that this will cost up to Rs 1300 crore.
In the area of Rajatalab in Varanasi, the construction of the stadium is scheduled to begin. A PPP model will be used to run this international cricket stadium that is going to be built in Varanasi. UPCA has also sent out the tender for choosing a building company to build on the EPC model. The company will be chosen to work on the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Design) mode, which stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Design.
In this stadium, everything for the players will be taken care of, from training to their stay. Right now, the field is getting ready for day-and-night games. According to the news, this Varanasi international stadium can have four locker rooms and three practice fields. Aside from this, this venue will also have cutting-edge systems set up to drain water when it rains.
The international cricket ground at Ganjari in Varanasi will be built the same way as the Motera in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The plan for it has been made. Prime Minister Narendra Modi might be able to start building the world cricket stadium in June of the year 2023.
In addition to hosting both national and international competitions, the venue will provide facilities for a variety of sports, including badminton, table tennis, swimming, and self-defense. For live telecasting of the matches that are going to be played at the stadium, a Broadcast Room (BCR) measuring 2,000 square feet will be constructed.
In an area of 500 square feet, there will be a canteen, bathrooms, and a facility for bus stands. Players and Media Facilities, VIP Lounge, Corporate Box, Open Car Parking, Car Charging Station, Water Tank, Golf Carts, Road, Solar Panels, Swimming Pool, and Food facilities will be taken care of.
Specialty about the Stadium: Trishul, Damru and Belpatra
It is India’s first stadium in Kashi that will be completely dedicated to Lord Shiva, based on a religious theme (Lord Shiva theme) as it will be featured with Trishul, Damru and Belpatra, favourites of Lord Shiva. Unique features of the stadium will give it a spiritual ambiance such as crescent form stadium roofs crowns the Lord Shiva, floodlights in the form of tridents, entry point having metallic frames in the form of bilva patra (sacred leaves to Lord Shiva), and front part of the stadium in the form of the ‘damru.
The Shilanyas of this 450 crore rupees international cricket stadium in Varanasi will be held on September 23 by the Honourable Prime Minister of India. As we know about Varanasi, one of the oldest cities of the world is famous for its rich cultural heritage and spiritual significance. This stadium at Ganjari, having modern sports facilities with the essence of Kashi, is another jewel to the Varanasi city’s crown. It is the indication of people’s devotion and reverence for Lord Shiva by connecting both spirituality and sports at one place.
According to officials, the proposed cricket stadium will cost about Rs. 300 to 400 crore to be build. The planned international cricket stadium will be built to international standards and be able to hold up to 30,000 people.
Kaushal Raj Sharma, the Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi, said, “The Uttar Pradesh government has bought 31 acres of land from farmers in the Rajatalab area for about Rs 120 crore. The UPCA will get a 30-year lease on this land at the end of this month. Instead of paying rent, the UPCA will give the state government Rs 10 lakh every year. The UPCA will then build its own stadium on this land. From 2025 on, people in Kashi will be able to watch cricket games there.
The village of Ganjari may be found in the Rajatalab Tahsil of the Varanasi District in the Uttar Pradesh region of India’s state of Uttar Pradesh.
By Road: To reach stadium site you have to a catch Harhua ring road, If you are coming from Pryagraj road NH2 then, catch Ringh road at Rakhauna village, Rajatab. If you are coming from Airport or Ghaziapur, Azamgarh or Jaunpur side then catch ring road at Harhua. Also The famous Chaudhary Charan Singh Bus stop is about 15 km away from the newly proposed stadium. However, there are many local bus stop nearest to this destination.
By Air: The Babatpur airport is located around 24 km away from Ganjari, Rajatalab. People can take auto or book cab to reach the stadium.
By Rail: The stadium is about 15 km from the Varanasi Junction. However, it will be about 12.5 km from the Banaras station.
Ans. The proposed cricket stadium in Varanasi will have a capacity of up to 30,000 people.
Ans. The estimated cost for constructing and developing the cricket stadium to international standards is around Rs 300 crore.
Ans. Varanasi will be the site of UP’s third International Cricket Stadium. The project is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2024 after the government has purchased land in the Rajatalab area of Varanasi.
Ans. The newly proposed Varanasi International Cricket Stadium will be constructed at Ganjari place of Rajatalab.
Ans. There are two international cricket stadium in UP namely The Green Park Stadium in Kanpur and the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.