A major road-widening project in Dal Mandi – a dense, centuries-old market near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi – has left hundreds of shopkeepers and residents staring at displacement.
As many as 187 buildings along the 650-metre Dal Mandi stretch have been identified for demolition as part of a ₹224-crore project to ease pilgrim access to the temple under the larger Kashi Vishwanath Corridor plan. Officials estimate that more than 1,000 shops operate from these structures, endangering the livelihood of thousands of traders.
Seated in his dilapidated double-storey house in Aadivisheshwar locality in Varanasi, 52-year-old Sanjay Aggarwal anxiously weighs his options after learning that his rented grocery shop, run by his family for four generations, has been marked for removal. Born and raised in the narrow lanes of Kashi, Aggarwal said the shop is his family’s only source of income. “My great-grandfather came from Lahore in the 1920s to live by the Ganga. He believed dying in Kashi brings moksha (salvation). He rented the shop from the Raja of Banaras. Now, after four generations, we live in constant fear of being displaced,” he said.
Dal Mandi has long been a bustling wholesale and retail hub dealing in clothing, groceries, fabrics, household goods and handicrafts. The market serves customers from eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar and offers affordable goods under one roof.
Following surveys, notices were served to property owners in October 2025, with the government offering compensation at twice the circle rate of ₹44,000 per square metre. “The market price is at least four times what they are offering. But the issue is with the shop owners who are on rent. Where will we go? Each building houses five to seven shops. At least 1,000 shops may be permanently shut. Thousands will be unemployed,” Aggarwal said.
Losing cultural legacy
Farhan Khan, a third-generation mobile accessories trader whose shop has been spared, said he is pained to see many of his close friends and acquaintances losing their livelihoods in the project. “The market represents our identity. Losing these shops signifies more than a mere financial ruin. It means losing a cultural legacy built over generations,” he said.
“These streets are filled with memories. Traditions are being erased for the sake of a road. We are not merely defending our shops but our very existence,” Khan added.
Demolation drive going on for road-widening project at Dal Mandi market in Varanasi.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA
The demolition drive has created panic. Last week, a building owner set fire to his property as officials moved in to raze structures that had received notices 15 days earlier. Political parties have staged protests and some have questioned why the drive was not paused during Ramzan as the area is populated by a vast majority of Muslims.
Aggarwal’s mother, Rita Aggarwal, says police cautioned her son after his comments appeared prominently in the media. The family now plans to shift the grocery shop to the ground floor of their residence. “But here the sales will drop by 75% due to reduced footfall. Only dedicated customers will come,” the son said, adding that the average rent for a 100 square-foot shop here exceeds ₹20,000 per month.
‘It’s a catastrophe’
For Imran Ali, 44, his home and clothing shop face demolition. “We will be virtually on the road. It is not just money; it is our birthplace. Six generations have lived here,” he said. Anticipating closure, Ali has enrolled his wife in a B.Ed. course to secure an alternative income and asked his two employees to look for other jobs. “At least she will generate income before I am able to look for economic avenues. It is a catastrophe for us,” Ali said.
He said that his father suffered a stroke after the demolition announcement, which doctors linked to emotional distress. “It takes a year to build a house. A home takes generations,” Ali said.
The State government approved the proposal in 2023-24 to widen the Dal Mandi-Chowk police station road to facilitate direct access from Naisadak to Gate No. 4 of the temple. The 650-metre stretch will have an expanded 17.4-metre passage with 3.2-metre-wide footpaths on both sides and underground utilities.
A demolished structure at Dal Mandi market in Varanasi.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA
The Public Works Department affixed notices to 187 buildings, seeking ownership documents to finalise compensation through negotiation. Authorities warned that if negotiations fail, formal land acquisition would follow. Demolitions began in January this year, creating an uproar.
Some residents said that an alternative 200-metre route from Kodai ki Chowki to Dashashwamedh police station, which they say would have affected fewer buildings, was ignored despite suggestions during the Social Impact Assessment (SIA), a mandatory process under land acquisition law. “The basic idea behind SIA is to mitigate social unrest, choose the shortest route, address challenges of land acquisition and accelerate the implementation of development projects. But none of that was followed. The long route with the majority Muslim population was chosen for the process,” claimed Aggarwal.
‘Selective targeting’
Congress leader Shahnawaz Alam called the drive “selective targeting”. “It is well known that the majority of buildings, shop owners and residents here are Muslims. The primary objective of the project is to trouble, deprive them. It is wrong as it will result in economic marginalisation, break community structure and will lead to profound psychological distress for hundreds,” Alam said.
People witnessing a major demolation drive for road-widening project at Dal Mandi market in Varanasi.
| Photo Credit:
SANDEEP SAXENA
Local BJP municipal councillor Indresh Kumar Singh defends the project, saying many structures are unsafe or encroach upon the road. “The area has faulty wiring that prevents emergency access. The project will transform the cramped spaces into a functional, safe, and economically productive area, and ease pilgrim movement,” he said.
Alam responds by saying that lakhs of buildings in Varanasi are akin to structures in Dal Mandi. “Unorganised layouts are a reality of Kashi as it is one of the old cities in human history. People from far and wide come here to attain salvation and for worship. Why target a densely populated area and take away the livelihood of thousands?” he said.
Edited by: Mehraj Bhat
Published – March 01, 2026 07:00 pm IST
