Buried deep in the hills of Chandauli district in Uttar Pradesh is a village called Pandi, a settlement of just 80 mud houses so disconnected from the outside world that the women living there had never once set eyes on a city. This quietly striking reality surfaced on June 15, 2026, when the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Varanasi Range, visited the village, which falls under the Aurwatad outpost of Naugadh police station. The visit formed part of outreach under the Mission Shakti 5.0 programme, during which the DIG spoke with villagers about welfare schemes, safety, and the basic resources available to them.
A Simple Question That Changed Everything
During the gathering, some 40 to 50 women from the village had assembled. The DIG asked them a direct question: had any of them ever seen a city? Every single woman answered no. He then asked whether they would like to visit the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple in nearby Varanasi, and the room responded with immediate enthusiasm. On the spot, the DIG directed Chandauli Superintendent of Police Akash Patel, who was present at the gathering, to arrange a trip under Mission Shakti 5.0, with a police bus ferrying the villagers from Pandi all the way to Varanasi for a tour of the city's major temples and landmarks.
The Journey: June 29, 2026
On Monday, June 29, 2026, Chandauli Police made good on that commitment. A total of 50 people from village Pandi were taken on the outing: 40 women and 10 men. Among the 40 women, 35 were between 35 and 40 years of age, while five were between 55 and 65 years old. All 10 men were approximately 32 to 45 years of age. The programme ran from 1 PM to 8 PM, with police officers managing every detail of the group's journey and care throughout the day.
Four Temples, a Meal and a Mall
In Varanasi, the group was taken first to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, where they offered prayers and performed puja. They then visited three more religious sites: the Vishalakshi Shakti Peeth temple, the Durga temple at Durgakund, and the Sankat Mochan temple for darshan and worship. Between the temple visits, the entire group was treated to a meal at the local Jalans air-conditioned restaurant. To cap the day with an experience of contemporary urban life, the group was also taken to JHV Mall in the Cantonment area of Varanasi, where many rode an elevator and walked through a large shopping complex for the first time in their lives.
What the Villagers Said
Saraswati, a resident of village Pandi who is approximately 70 years old, described what the day meant to her:
"We had never seen a city before. After visiting Kashi Vishwanath and performing the puja, I feel very good. This was all possible by Baba's grace. The temple people also showed us great respect. Seeing the development in Varanasi felt wonderful."
Durgawati, approximately 46 years old, was overcome with joy at the simple fact of seeing a city for the very first time. She said:
"Sir, I had never seen a city before. Seeing the city for the first time made me very happy."
The youngest member of the group, approximately 8-year-old Piyush, had his own standout moment from the trip. He said:
"When I sat in the bus to come to Banaras, I was very excited. When I got to ride the elevator at the mall, I felt amazing."
The Larger Purpose Behind the Initiative
The stated aim of the entire activity was to fill the lives of people in this remote hilly region with positive energy, to build in them a sense of empowerment, and to open their eyes to new opportunities available in modern life, so that they could return home more motivated and inspired to move forward. For a village as isolated as Pandi, the trip offered something beyond a day's outing: a window into a world that had long existed just out of reach, and a clear signal from local police that even the most remote communities are not invisible to the administration.
