KOLKATA, INDIA, November 5, 2018 (Newsmen): On the eve of Kali Puja, the world famous Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata today got a gift in the form of a skywalk that has been built by the state government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the US$8.225 million Rani Rashmoni Skywalk that connects Dakshineswar railway station to the main gate of the Temple through an elevated pathway. The arch-shape skywalk made of glass and steel is 1,115 ft. long and 34 ft. wide. There are 14 escalators, four lifts, and eight staircases to enable visitors to embark and disembark at several points including the busy Dakshineswar traffic circle.
Along the center of the skywalk have been set up 137 permanent stalls where the hawkers from the pathway below will be rehabilitated over the next seven days, the Chief Minister said on inaugurating the skywalk. Devotees will be able to buy items for worship from these stalls while proceeding through the walkway on both sides. Going by a rough estimate, around 14 million people from all over India and abroad visit Dakshineswar Kali Temple every year, and the skywalk will be of convenience to them as they will no longer require to negotiate through the busy traffic.