Digital Team, Varanasi. The visionary vision of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the rejuvenation of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has given Varanasi the top position on the global tourism map. The year 2025 was historic for Kashi, where a record 7 crore 26 lakh 76 thousand 780 tourists attended the court of Baba Vishwanath. This figure not only reflects the growing spiritual popularity of Varanasi, but also marks the return of the cultural splendor of Uttar Pradesh.
Effect of Mahakumbh and 'reverse flow' visible
According to the data of the Tourism Department, Prayagraj Mahakumbh had a special contribution in this year's record growth.
Mahakumbh 'reverse flow': After the holy bath at Triveni Sangam, about 2.87 crore devotees reached Kashi, which led to a tremendous jump in the tourism graph.
Major festivals: The number of devotees was highest during Mahashivratri and the holy month of Sawan, for which the administration and temple management had made unprecedented arrangements for security and facilities.
New year and changing trends of the young generation
This time a new and positive change was seen in the New Year celebrations. Instead of club and party culture, the youth of the country chose the city of Devadhidev Mahadev to ring in the New Year.
More than 30 lakh youth: Between 24 December 2025 and 1 January 2026, 30,75,769 devotees visited Kashi Vishwanath, of which 80 percent were youth.
Reverence towards Sanatan: The crowd of youth gathered in the Ganga ghats and temple premises is proof that the wave of cultural renaissance has now penetrated deep into the minds of the new generation.
According to Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of Vishwanath Temple, Sanatan culture is a haven for festivals. With the efforts of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Kashi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj are being developed as a 'Sacred Triangle'. Better infrastructure, smooth roads and beautification of the ghats have facilitated the movement of tourists between these three pilgrimage sites. Due to the expansion of tourism facilities, people from all over the world are now attracted to spiritual centers on Indian festivals as well as on the festivals of the Western calendar.
New center of global tourism
Varanasi is no longer just a religious city but has become a global center equipped with modern facilities where there is a wonderful confluence of antiquity and modernity. Ganga Aarti, cruise tourism and the grandeur of Vishwanath Corridor have made Kashi the world's most favorite 'cultural destination'.