Varanasi: A statue of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maratha queen who had the Kashi Vishwanath temple renovated in 1777, will be put at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to dedicate on December 13. Aadi Shankaracharya, Bharat Mata, and Lord Kartikeya will all have statues in the temple compound.

"The process of restoring idols of Goddess Parvati, Goddess Annapurna, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Satyanarayan in the KV temple premises has begun by erecting prefabricated temples there," Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agrawal said. Agrawal went on to say, "The installation of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar, Adi Shankaracharya, Bharat Mata, and Lord Kartikeya statues has also begun. The statue of Adi Shankaracharya will be placed near the ghat along the Ganga at KV Dham's entry point." Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar's statue will be placed near the tourist facilitation  centre, while Bharat Mata's statue will be placed at Mandir Chowk. Near KVT, a statue of Lord Kartikeya is being installed. Each statue will stand 6.5 feet tall and be set on stone pedestals.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple, one of Lord Shiva's 12 Jyotirlingas, has undergone substantial renovation and enhancement for the first time since its completion by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in 1977.