India's Modi opens project in holy town with a big splash

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a dip in the sacred Ganges River before a crowd of thousands, as he opened part of a large-scale development project in the holy city of Varanasi

VARANASI, India -- India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a dip in the sacred Ganges River before a crowd of thousands, as he opened part of a large-scale development project in the holy city of Varanasi, where his ruling party is looking to garner support ahead of key state elections.

The highlight of the opening ceremony was a $45 million corridor meant to facilitate pilgrims' visits to some of India's holiest sites. The corridor connects the river where pilgrims bathe, with the centuries-old Vishwanath temple.

“Today history has been created by reviving the socio-cultural history of this ancient city, which is vibrant with Hindu philosophy as enshrined in our religious books,” Modi said at the lavish opening event.

Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been keen to consolidate its support ahead of next year's polls in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where Varanasi is located. Modi's far-right party currently holds power in the state — India’s largest with 230 million people — but is under immense pressure over its response to the pandemic and the struggling economy.