Summary:
Varanasi, Dec 13 (PTI) Lauding the resilience of India"s civilisational heritage here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that tyrants like Aurangzeb tried to destroy it but were consigned to "black pages" of history while the ancient holy city of Kashi is writing a new chapter of its glory.
In a speech after inaugurating the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, which has renovated and expanded the temple"s premises, Modi said India is now stepping out of the influence and "inferiority" complex brought on it by centuries of slavery and asserted that the new corridor will give a decisive direction to the country and lead it to a bright future.
A new history is being created, he said, asserting that if an Aurangzeb came, a Shivaji also rose and if a Salar Masud, a Muslim invader, marched, then a Raja Suheldev took him on.
Modi dwelt at length about the glory of the city"s heritage and noted that it withstood attempts to destroy it by the likes of Mughal king Aurangzeb, Muslim invader Salar Masud and Warren Hastings, British governor-general in India.
Sultanates rose and fell but Benaras remained, he said, often referring to the city with its different names, including Kashi.
"Tyrants attacked this city, tried to destroy it.