Varanasi's Dal Mandi Is Being Transformed - Here's the First Real Look at What It Will Become
Something big is happening down in the lanes of Varanasi. Demolition work has been going on in Dal Mandi, a historic stretch of commercial lanes in the city, since October 29, and for the first time, the scale and nature of what this area will be like when it's complete, is becoming clearer. The PWD has put out a 3D map video of the project, giving residents, traders, and gawkers the closest thing yet to visualizing what a transformed Dal Mandi will look like, and the vision is enormous.
What exactly is the Dal Mandi Project?
The project, approved on March 31, 2025 and laid by the foundation stone by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to widen Dal Mandi Road, from a rather narrow street it is now, to 17.4 metres for a stretch of 650 metres. The cost of the whole project, a government expense amounting to 220 crore, has been allocated with 195 crore to compensation to the landowners, and 25 crore for the development of the road. Of the total of 187 buildings that are required to be demolished to widen the road, 110 have been razed down so far, and 40 crore of the compensation money has been disbursed, with authorities looking to bring down the remaining structures by end May and complete the entire project by August 31. The project is intended to ease the movement of pilgrims to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
What will the Dal Mandi look like?
K.K. Singh, Executive Engineer, PWD, says that the road has been designated as a 'smart road', with the 17.4-metre carriageway carrying vehicles for 10 metres and the rest of the space designated to pedestrian walkways, of 3.2 metres on each side, with a 2-metre clearance provision on both the walkways. The true nature of the modern infrastructure will lie underneath, with all overhead electric wires, telephone lines, gas, and water pipelines to be shifted underground, with KC drains at every metre along the road. The entire stretch will be covered by CCTVs, and the architecture of Hazratganj in Lucknow-an example of how a heritage street was beautified with minimal intrusion of modernity, is the model for the Dal Mandi Project. All buildings in Dal Mandi are also slated to be painted in one single color, as will be decided later by the authorities, who will also issue rules regarding pedestrian walkways, among others.
The first building under construction in the new Dal Mandi layout is that of Dawar Khan, who happens to be the first Muslim to own land in Dal Mandi and register his property for the widening project. His family has owned a shop in Dal Mandi for three generations now. They initially dealt in radio sales and repairs, later changing to electronics retail, before he branched out to sell electronics and e-commerce in wholesale to government firms, with the GeM portal. He says that his three-storey structure which is planned to contain 10-12 electronics and e-commerce related shops is already under construction, on a part of his land that will not be affected by the widening. His new building’s finishing has been stalled until further instructions about the color of the building and other finishing rules are laid down by the authorities.
This is proving to be a bitter pill for many traders
Like the owner of a shop being reconstructed, Dawar Khan is also struggling with the bitterness of losing close to half of his property (nearly 21 ft) for the project, even though he states he does not mind development. However, he candidly admits that thecompensation paid to landowners has not been sufficient. This is not unfair, for the compensation being awarded is calculated as 88,000 per square metre, whereas its current circle rate is only 44,000 per square metre. According to him, and probably to many other landowners, this computation is unjust as, with the successful completion of the project, when Dal Mandi becomes a smart street with modern infrastructure and heavy pedestrian footfall, its market value could easily shoot up to five or six times the present circle rate. In essence, the government compensated for the land it purchased at today’s undervalued prices, but the acquired property would fetch five times its value post the project. It's an issue that plagues urban development projects all across the country, year after year.
A heritage street enters a new phase
The Dal Mandi has served as a trading hub for generations and a grand metamorphosis is upon it; with 187 buildings slated to be razed, redesigned street infrastructure, underground services, smart road status, and direct access to the under-development Kashi Vishwanath corridor, this 650-meter stretch may become entirely unrecognizable from what its past was. Whether this signifies progress or decline (or a mix of both), time will tell.
