VARANASI, Nov. 1 -- Vice-president CP Radhakrishnan on Friday noted Varanasi's remarkable transformation over the past 25 years and attributed this progress to the "visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath." The V-P graced the inauguration of the new satram (lodging facility) constructed by the Sri Kasi Nattukkottai Nagara Satram Managing Society at Sigra, Varanasi, as the chief guest. The event was also attended by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who welcomed Radhakrishnan at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport upon his arrival, as per an official release from vice-president's Secretariat. The facility was inaugurated by the vice-president in presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. The 10-storey Satram, comprising 140 rooms, is the second facility built by the Society in Varanasi. It is aimed at serving visiting devotees and encouraging younger generations to visit the holy city. Addressing the gathering, the vice-president highlighted the time-honoured spiritual and cultural bond between Varanasi and Tamil Nadu. He also shared personal reflections, including his transformation to vegetarianism after taking a holy dip in the Ganga in the year 2000. The V-P praised the Nagarathar community for their dedicated social service and their sustained efforts to promote Tamil culture wherever they go. He appreciated the community for constructing the Satram at a cost of Rs.60 crore, funded entirely through community donations, and acknowledged the new building as a symbol of faith, resilience, and collaboration between regions. He highlighted that Dharma ultimately prevails, noting that the land on which the Satram now stands had once been encroached upon, but was successfully recovered through the efforts of the state government. The Satram, he said, now stands as a noble facility for devotees. The V-P remarked that Kashi is regarded as the spiritual capital of the world and observed that the newly built Satram will greatly benefit visiting devotees while helping to spread spiritual awareness. He also commended the return of the idol of Goddess Annapurani Amman Devi to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex. The idol, which had been stolen from the temple in Varanasi over a century ago, was returned to India from Canada in 2021 due to the sustained efforts of the Government of India under PM Narendra Modi. The event also highlighted the longstanding tradition of pilgrimage between Kashi and Southern India, dating back to the establishment of the first Satram in 1863 by the Nattukkottai Trust....