look news india
When the brave fighter planes of the Indian Air Force roared in the sky of Kashi, the holy city of religion, spirituality and Sanatan culture, the entire city was filled with excitement and pride. Indian Air Force (IAF) is going to organize the historic and grand ‘Wings over Ganga’ air show for the first time in Varanasi to commemorate its 94th anniversary. When the state-of-the-art fighter jets and helicopters of the Air Force started the full dress rehearsal over the continuous stream of Ganga on Monday before the main aerial display, lakhs of devotees and local citizens present from Namo Ghat to Assi Ghat were surprised. Every corner of Kashi echoed with the roar of Rafale and Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter planes passing through the chest of Mother Ganga at supersonic speed. This is the first time in the history of Varanasi when the country’s most advanced fighter planes have been seen performing aerobatics in such close proximity to the general public.
During the rehearsal, Indian Air Force strategists had converted the entire coastal area from Namo Ghat to Assi Ghat into a huge air corridor. Since morning, a crowd of thousands of people had gathered on the stairs of 84 concrete ghats built on the banks of Ganga. As soon as the formation of fighter planes appeared in the sky, the crowd present at the ghats echoed with deafening slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Air Force fighter planes performed many aerobatic maneuvers while flying at very low altitude just above the Ganga. Apart from fighter aircraft, Air Force transport aircraft and state-of-the-art indigenous helicopters also took part in the rehearsal. People were stunned to see the feats performed by helicopters by remaining stable just above the waves of Ganga.
A tremendous craze for this rehearsal was seen in the urban areas of Varanasi also. People of Godaulia, Lanka, Maidagin, Sigra and Dashashwamedh areas were seen climbing on the roofs of their homes, shops and business establishments and watching the live acrobatics of these planes. When the Rafale aircraft flew at supersonic speed over the city, its echo was clearly heard several kilometers away. Children and youth standing on the rooftops were seen shouting excitedly and identifying the planes – some were shouting ‘Look Rafale has arrived’, while some were thrilled to see the power of the Sukhoi and Chinook helicopters. Local citizens told in conversation that they had never seen fighter planes flying so close in their entire life. This was not just an exercise, but a direct experience of the indomitable courage, valor and technical strength of the Indian Army which made every citizen’s chest swell with pride. Videos of the roar of fighter planes dominated Kashi’s local WhatsApp groups, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) throughout the day.
It is a very visionary move by the Indian Air Force to move the main event of its 94th anniversary out of Hindon or the traditional airbase in New Delhi to the banks of the Ganga in a cultural city like Varanasi. Its direct objective is to increase respect for the Indian Armed Forces among the youth and new generation of the country and inspire them to serve the nation. Through the ‘Wings over Ganga’ air show, lakhs of youth have got the opportunity to understand firsthand how the firepower of the Air Force keeps the country’s borders impenetrable. For this big event, the local district administration and police commissionerate have also made special arrangements for security, barricading and emergency water police at the ghats so that there is no inconvenience of any kind on the day of the main event.
Due to this air show, a huge boom has been registered in the tourism, hotel and boat operation industries of Varanasi. All the hotels, homestays and guesthouses located around Namo Ghat, Chet Singh Ghat, Rajendra Prasad Ghat and Assi Ghat are fully booked. Advance booking of big barges, Ro-Ro ships and traditional boats plying on the Ganga is full, as people want to capture this rare aerial display in their eyes by sitting on the boats in the middle of the water. The district administration estimates that more than 5 lakh people from the city and other districts of Purvanchal will reach the banks of Ganga on the day of the main air show. This panoramic scene taking place on the banks of Ganga in Varanasi has become such a unique example of the confluence of military power and eternal culture, whose echo will remain alive in the hearts of the people of Kashi for a long time.