India, Jan. 21 -- justify;">For generations of priests and devotees in Kashi, visiting Baba Vishwanath was once as much a test of endurance as of faith. Narrow lanes, hanging electrical wires, swelling crowds, and the constant fear of stampedes defined the pilgrimage experience. Many devotees would wait for hours, only to return without reaching the sanctum. At any given time, barely 40 to 50 people could offer darshan together-not due to lack of devotion, but because of severe infrastructural limitations.

This was the reality surrounding the Kashi Vishwanath temple before 2014. Access to the shrine was difficult, particularly for elderly devotees and women. Scores of ancient temples in the vicinity lay neglected, some in such poor condi...