Varanasi, Dec 13 (PTI) Hindutva leader Sadhvi Ritambhara and several other seers hailed the inauguration of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham on Monday as a "historic moment" and a step towards the "resurrection" of the ancient glory of the city. A large number of saints and "mahants", drawn from all parts of India, attended the opening of the first phase of the mega project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "When history is being created, becoming a witness to it is an experience.... Kashi faced a lot of sorrows in the past, our faith was exploited and our centres of devotion were destroyed. But, from time to time, people have also expressed their faith here," Ritambhara told PTI after attending the evening Ganga "aarti" at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Modi, in his address, said the whole new complex of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building, but a symbol of India"s "Sanatan culture", spiritual soul and its antiquity and traditions. The temple complex, which was only 3,000 square feet, has now spread to about five lakh square feet, he said. Ritambhara said witnessing Kashi in such a "grand form" filled her with immense happiness. "It was like a barren land, getting drops of rain," she said. The firebrand Hindutva leader also hailed the legacy of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar and said the inauguration of the new corridor was a "step towards the resurrection of the glory of the ancient temple". "Sanatan dharm has been nourished by "matri shakti", and being a woman, today is a matter of double joy for me," she said. The current structure of the temple was constructed by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar around 1780, and in the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had got it crowned with golden "shikhar". Jagadguru Ramanujacharya Swami Yogeshwaracharya, Indraprastha Pithadeshwar, who came from Delhi to attend the grand event, was overjoyed by the occasion. "No other PM in the past has given such respect to Sanatan dharm, and this is a historic moment, and we are happy to be part of it. The Kashi Vishwanath Dham will enhance the glory of the ancient city and of India," he said. Swami Avdhesh Kumar Das, Bada Bhaktmal Pithadeshwar, Ayodhaya, said, "I am very happy to have attended this function. A few more spiritual gurus have come from Ayodhya. From "Ram ki Nagri", we have come to "Baba ki Nagari", and his blessings will guide us to greater destiny." Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the project, saying "under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kashi Vishwanath temple"s cultural and spiritual glory was being restored". Manipur University vice-chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey and his wife, Veena Pandey, a former BJP member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, were among the attendees. "It is a truly historic moment, the making of the corridor and its dedication to the people today by the prime minister. And, we have witnessed this moment. It"s a new beginning of the old Kashi," he told PTI. Veena Pandey said it "is not "new Kashi" but resurrection of old Kashi as it might have been centuries ago". PTI KND SMN SMN