BLOG POST 2
After Prayagaraj our next destination was Varanasi or Kashi or Benares, one of the oldest and holiest city in India. I, like most other devout Indians had been dreaming of going on a pilgrimage at least once in my lifetime to Kashi
Varanasi is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh dating back to the 11th century B.C. Regarded as the spiritual capital and one of the seven holy cities in India, it draws Hindu pilgrims from all over the entire world, who bathe in the sacred waters of the river Ganges and perform funeral rites on its banks
Before going to Varanasi I had the impression that I would be wading through pools of cow dung,get either kicked or struck by the pious cows and would walk around in narrow lanes dodging hot cauldrons of oil in which yummy but dusty kachoris would be frying merrily but to my delight I found that Varanasi was quite clean , I was told the Smart city Varanasi Campaign was slowly succeeding in cleaning up the city .
We stayed in Hotel Surya, Kaiser Palace,a small but comfortable hotel ,it had complimentary breakfast but during our pilgrimage trip we were rushing out every single day after the mandatory head bath either for pitru pujas or darshan and coming back to hotel only after 11 am and so had breakfast in outside restaurants which had south Indian cuisine to our relief and aha! There was my precious hot cup of filter coffee of course my elixir of life ,LOL !
Along the city's narrow and winding streets are more than 2,000 temples, most prominent of which being Kashi Vishwanath “Golden Temple,” dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva
At a very early hour of 1 am, we got up and left for the darshan of Kasi Visweswara and 3 am Mangal Aarthi
We were taken upto the gate 4 where we had to divest ourselves of our lifelines i.e our cell phones (I sometimes wonder how we had ever survived when there were no cell phones ) purses, belts and anything made of leather and pens too .
This act of asking for removal of belts even at airports has sometimes led to disastrous scenes of pants slipping off the paunches of stout men who would be seen shuffling around desperately holding on to their pants in one hand and their hand luggage in the other
Throughout our sleepy route we found shops selling souvenirs ,puja items ,flowers and cups of steaming hot chai ,I made a plaintive request to my hubby for one cup to clear my blurred senses but he being more religious minded pretended to be blind to the sights of tea
At every step we found fierce looking security personnel guarding the temple and its premises, giving warning looks to any lingering pilgrims
At Varanasi one has an option of booking on line for Sugam darshan and special puja like Rudrabhishekam, It is very convenient and highly recommended to avoid the crowds
The charges are 300 INR per person & we have to carry the voucher and copy of proof of our identity with us. With the Voucher one has to go to temple helpdesk building inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath which is next to Shapuri mall on Bansfathak , help desk is open 24 hours
On production of voucher one gets a wrist band and free prasad and a priest to guide and provided with a locker where we have to deposit our belongings. The helpdesk building has clean toilets and a souvenir shop too. ( website : http://shrikashivishwanathdarshan.com/).
It is better if we can go to the temple between 4.30 to 6 am for darshan as it is less crowded
For handicapped or elderly people, wheelchair with attendant is made available by temple administration. Now the entry from Gate No.1 is hassle free with all the amenities.
The Temple has been referred to in Hindu scriptures for a very long time as a central part of worship in Shaiva Philosophy. It has been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times in history, a fate unfortunately common to many temples in our country.
The last structure was demolished by Aurangazeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.
Since 1983, the temple has been managed by the government of U.P. It is also the 5th richest temple in India
The temple contains the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva known as the Vishwanath and is one of the 12 jyotirlingas. It has 4 entrance gates
The temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, is located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli,main temple is quadrangle shaped
There is a Sabha Griha leading to the inner Garbha Griha The holy Jyotirlinga is a dark brown colored stone 60 cm tall and 90 cm wide.. Structure of the Mandir is composed of three parts. The first compromises a spire on the Mandir of Lord Vishwanath or Mahadeva. The second are three domes each made up of pure gold, donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835s and the third is the 15.5 metre high gold spire atop Lord Vishwanath carrying a flag and a trident.
There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi or Gyaan vapi (the wisdom well) to north of the main temple ,during the invasion by the Mughals, the Jyotirlinga was hidden in the well to protect it . It is believed that the main priest of the temple jumped in the well with the Shivling to protect it from invaders.
After we entered the premises of the temple , we sat waiting outside the sanctum which was very small. The Mangal Aarthi was so divine that it took us to some other world, after the Aarthi we were allowed to go inside and pray ,we also performed abhishekam with help of a priest in an adjacent mandap
We next went to the famous Annapurna Temple which was very near the Kasi Viswanatha temple. Annapurna Devi , an incarnation of Goddess Parvati and worshipped as the benevolent provider of food and nourishment.
Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao in 1729 AD, constructed this temple with Nagara style of architecture. We saw devotees donating grains and food at this temple a feature we had observed in Horanadu Annapurna temple of Karnataka.
The temple features two idols of the goddess. One of these idols is made of gold while the other one is made of brass, said to be installed by Adisankaracharya, we could see the brass idol, but to see the gold idol one will have to plan their visit on the day before Diwali, which is popularly known as Annakut day.
The next temple we visited was Kashi Visalakshi temple again very close to Vishwanath temple. Dedicated to goddess Visalakshi, pilgrims visiting Varanasi also visit this temple and offer prayers. This temple was in a narrow alley close to Mirghat.
The temple is also rather small though mighty in terms of its religious significance.We found lot of South Indian pilgrims in the temple
It is a Shakti Pith and goddess is worshipped as the one with large eyes in this temple and so Vishalakshi
According to the legends, the earrings of goddess Sati is believed to have fallen on the very spot where the temple stands today. The temple is situated near the sacred cremation ground of Manikarnika and is definitely worth a visit.
We were next on our way to Kaal Bhairav temple which was around 1.5 km from Dashashwamedh Ghat , aggressive form of Lord Shiva Kaal Bhairav is enshrined and worshipped in this temple which dates back to the mid-17th century, making it one of the oldest Shiva temples in the city.
Kal Bhairav is regarded as the guardian angel of the city and the people of Varanasi are known to seek permission from the deity before they leave the city for any work.
It was a simple temple but was very impressive, devotees were offering flowers and liquor . Lord Shiva had appointed Kal Bhairav to be forever in Kashi to remove sins of the disciples.This place is famed as the Kapal Mochan Teerth.
Housed in the inner sanctum of the temple was a silver faced idol of Kal Bhairav seated on his vahana a dog and holding a trident. Only the face of the icon decorated (with garlands) was visible to us through the doorway.
Rest of the icon was covered with a piece of cloth. There was a garland of human skulls around the neck and a club of peacock feathers. On the rear door of the temple, there was an icon of Kshetrapal Bhairav, another aspect of Bhairava. The whole atmosphere was truly charged and air was thick with incense
Next on our temple list was Durga Kund Mandir which is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great religious importance in Hinduism and is dedicated to the Maa Durga. It was constructed in 18th century by Rani Bhabani of Natore
It stands next to a rectangular pond (kund) and hence the name. Built in a Nagara style ,the red stone temple features a multi-tiered spire.
We next went to my favorite God’s temple the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, one of the most visited temples in Varanasi, constructed in early 16th century by renowned poet, Goswami Tulsidas and stands on the banks of the River Assi
When we went we found huge crowd thronging the temple but we had darshan in no time luckily
There were scores of monkeys who apparently stay in the temple complex and gladly feed on the offerings given by the visitors. The deity is named "Sankat Mochan" the "reliever from troubles".
In the temple, prasad to Lord Hanuman was being sold like the special sweet "besan ka ladoo", the idol was also decked with a pleasant bright marigold flower garland . Lord Hanuman was facing his Lord Rama whom he worshipped with steadfast and selfless devotion unlike in other temples where he is to one side .
On 7th March 2006, one of three bomb explosions hit the temple while the Aarti was in progress in which numerous worshippers were participating, there was chaos and casualties but the crowd helped each other in the rescue operation after the explosion.
The next day a large number of devotees resumed their worship as usual ,braving the threat of un defused bombs reflecting the toughness of the Indian mind
Varanasi also has the Nepali Temple also known as the Kanthwala Temple, it is a replica of the renowned Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this 19th-century temple was constructed by the exiled King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah of wood, stone, and terracotta in the Nepali style of architecture. The pagodas of the temple are carved out of wood and had sculptures similar to the ones found in Khajuraho,as a result it has earned the name of Mini Khajuraho.
We next visited the Tulsi Manas temple built in 1964 and located on the banks of Tulsi ghat. We were asked to park our car far away and walked to the temple .The famous Indian philosopher and writer, Tulsi Das constructed it after his travels across India to spread the heroic spirit of the Ramayana.
He finished writing the Ramcharit Manas here, thus creating a body of work which helped contemporize the Ramayana, a religious text of the Hindus. We found that the place was very well maintained, made of white marble and offered a beautiful view of the river Ganga with beautiful gardens and serene atmosphere
On inside walls of temple were various episodes of Ram Charith Manas.
Last temple to visit was Birla Mandir . In 1930s, Pandit Madan Mohan decided to replicate the temple inside BHU campus and Birla family took up the work. In 1931, the foundation for the temple was made. The temple was completed in 1966. Since it is a replica of Kashi Vishwanath temple, it is called as the New Vishwanath temple.
The temple has the highest temple tower in the world and is 77 metre long and completely made of marble. There were 9 shrines inside this temple. In the ground floor, there was a large Shiva temple. In the first floor, shrines for Durga and Lakshmi Narayan.
Other main temples were Hanuman temple, Ganesh temple, Parvati temple, Nataraj temple, Saraswathi temple and Nandi. The complete prose of the Gita was inscribed on the walls along with pictures.
After Prayagaraj our next destination was Varanasi or Kashi or Benares, one of the oldest and holiest city in India. I, like most other devout Indians had been dreaming of going on a pilgrimage at least once in my lifetime to Kashi
Varanasi is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh dating back to the 11th century B.C. Regarded as the spiritual capital and one of the seven holy cities in India, it draws Hindu pilgrims from all over the entire world, who bathe in the sacred waters of the river Ganges and perform funeral rites on its banks
Along the city's narrow and winding streets are more than 2,000 temples, most prominent of which being Kashi Vishwanath “Golden Temple,” dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva
At a very early hour of 1 am, we got up and left for the darshan of Kasi Visweswara and 3 am Mangal Aarthi
We were taken upto the gate 4 where we had to divest ourselves of our lifelines i.e our cell phones (I sometimes wonder how we had ever survived when there were no cell phones ) purses, belts and anything made of leather and pens too .
This act of asking for removal of belts even at airports has sometimes led to disastrous scenes of pants slipping off the paunches of stout men who would be seen shuffling around desperately holding on to their pants in one hand and their hand luggage in the other
Throughout our sleepy route we found shops selling souvenirs ,puja items ,flowers and cups of steaming hot chai ,I made a plaintive request to my hubby for one cup to clear my blurred senses but he being more religious minded pretended to be blind to the sights of tea
At every step we found fierce looking security personnel guarding the temple and its premises, giving warning looks to any lingering pilgrims
At Varanasi one has an option of booking on line for Sugam darshan and special puja like Rudrabhishekam, It is very convenient and highly recommended to avoid the crowds
The charges are 300 INR per person & we have to carry the voucher and copy of proof of our identity with us. With the Voucher one has to go to temple helpdesk building inaugurated by CM Yogi Adityanath which is next to Shapuri mall on Bansfathak , help desk is open 24 hours
On production of voucher one gets a wrist band and free prasad and a priest to guide and provided with a locker where we have to deposit our belongings. The helpdesk building has clean toilets and a souvenir shop too. ( website : http://shrikashivishwanathdarshan.com/).
It is better if we can go to the temple between 4.30 to 6 am for darshan as it is less crowded
For handicapped or elderly people, wheelchair with attendant is made available by temple administration. Now the entry from Gate No.1 is hassle free with all the amenities.
The Temple has been referred to in Hindu scriptures for a very long time as a central part of worship in Shaiva Philosophy. It has been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times in history, a fate unfortunately common to many temples in our country.
The last structure was demolished by Aurangazeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.
The temple contains the Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva known as the Vishwanath and is one of the 12 jyotirlingas. It has 4 entrance gates
The temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, is located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli,main temple is quadrangle shaped
There is a Sabha Griha leading to the inner Garbha Griha The holy Jyotirlinga is a dark brown colored stone 60 cm tall and 90 cm wide.. Structure of the Mandir is composed of three parts. The first compromises a spire on the Mandir of Lord Vishwanath or Mahadeva. The second are three domes each made up of pure gold, donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835s and the third is the 15.5 metre high gold spire atop Lord Vishwanath carrying a flag and a trident.
We next went to the famous Annapurna Temple which was very near the Kasi Viswanatha temple. Annapurna Devi , an incarnation of Goddess Parvati and worshipped as the benevolent provider of food and nourishment.
The temple features two idols of the goddess. One of these idols is made of gold while the other one is made of brass, said to be installed by Adisankaracharya, we could see the brass idol, but to see the gold idol one will have to plan their visit on the day before Diwali, which is popularly known as Annakut day.
It is a Shakti Pith and goddess is worshipped as the one with large eyes in this temple and so Vishalakshi
We were next on our way to Kaal Bhairav temple which was around 1.5 km from Dashashwamedh Ghat , aggressive form of Lord Shiva Kaal Bhairav is enshrined and worshipped in this temple which dates back to the mid-17th century, making it one of the oldest Shiva temples in the city.
It was a simple temple but was very impressive, devotees were offering flowers and liquor . Lord Shiva had appointed Kal Bhairav to be forever in Kashi to remove sins of the disciples.This place is famed as the Kapal Mochan Teerth.
Housed in the inner sanctum of the temple was a silver faced idol of Kal Bhairav seated on his vahana a dog and holding a trident. Only the face of the icon decorated (with garlands) was visible to us through the doorway.
Next on our temple list was Durga Kund Mandir which is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great religious importance in Hinduism and is dedicated to the Maa Durga. It was constructed in 18th century by Rani Bhabani of Natore
We next went to my favorite God’s temple the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, one of the most visited temples in Varanasi, constructed in early 16th century by renowned poet, Goswami Tulsidas and stands on the banks of the River Assi
There were scores of monkeys who apparently stay in the temple complex and gladly feed on the offerings given by the visitors. The deity is named "Sankat Mochan" the "reliever from troubles".
In the temple, prasad to Lord Hanuman was being sold like the special sweet "besan ka ladoo", the idol was also decked with a pleasant bright marigold flower garland . Lord Hanuman was facing his Lord Rama whom he worshipped with steadfast and selfless devotion unlike in other temples where he is to one side .
The next day a large number of devotees resumed their worship as usual ,braving the threat of un defused bombs reflecting the toughness of the Indian mind
Varanasi also has the Nepali Temple also known as the Kanthwala Temple, it is a replica of the renowned Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this 19th-century temple was constructed by the exiled King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah of wood, stone, and terracotta in the Nepali style of architecture. The pagodas of the temple are carved out of wood and had sculptures similar to the ones found in Khajuraho,as a result it has earned the name of Mini Khajuraho.
On inside walls of temple were various episodes of Ram Charith Manas.
Other main temples were Hanuman temple, Ganesh temple, Parvati temple, Nataraj temple, Saraswathi temple and Nandi. The complete prose of the Gita was inscribed on the walls along with pictures.
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