GAYA ,THE HOLY TRIAD -PILGRIMAGE INDIA

BLOG POST 4
We started for Gaya which took 5 hours from Varanasi, the road was not very good and we stopped midway for a hot, heavenly cup of tea in an earthen cup which we were supposed to break after drinking the tea.

Gaya is a holy city beside the Falgu River, in the northeast state of Bihar, it is of  great historical significance and one of the major tourist attractions of Bihar. It is 100 kilometres south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.
The city is surrounded on three sides by small, rocky hills (Mangla -Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila, and Brahmayoni), with the Phalgu river on its fourth
Gaya is sanctified in the Jain, Hindu and Buddhist religions. Gaya district is mentioned in the great epics, the Ramayana and the  Mahabharatha ,it is the place where Rama, with Sita  and Lakshman, came to offer pind daan for their father Dasharath, and continues to be a major Hindu pilgrimage site for the pind-daan ritual.
  Gaya is named after Gayasur Rakshas who was blessed after a severe tapasya that whoever touches him shall be purified and be eligible to reach heaven directly.
Due to this boon, even after the wrongdoings people started getting salvation by seeing him. Unable to withstand this and to save humanity, Lord Vishnu by putting his right foot on the Gayasur’s head sent him to the netherworld in the process imprinting his footprints on the rock which is visible even today in Vishnu Paad temple.
 Gayasur pleaded him for food, Vishnu promised him that he will not die of hunger and whoever will offer him food will get moksh. This is the reason why people go there to do “Pind-Daan” of their loved ones. and it is said that the body of Gayasura was transformed into series of rocky hills that make up the landscape of Gaya.
The day Gayasura doesn't get food, it is believed that he will come out. Every day, one or the other from different parts of India will pray for welfare of his departed and offer food, thereby feeding Gayasura

After researching online we had decided to go to Andhra-Telangana Bhawan in Gaya . Pilgrims from Andhra / Telangana / Karnataka/ Kerala/ Tamil Nadu visit this place. We met the main head of the Bhawan - Manohar Lal a pleasant man whose ancestors have been providing service to pilgrims in Gaya for over last 200 years

He explained all the details of the rituals and the costs involved for the various options. He was very professional and the costs we found were reasonable. We asked for a dedicated priest for our Pooja which he did.
 He also volunteered to arrange lunch at a very nominal fee which however we refused and he had AC rooms with attached bathrooms for reasonable rates

 We did not use them, as we were staying in Oaks hotel in Bodhgaya .
We paid for the Gaya Shradh and for anna dhan to 5 Brahmins, Gaya being on the top of the list has much significance when it comes to Pind daan as it is known that the soul would be freed from the agonies of hell and sent to heaven by performing Gaya-Shraddha or Pind Daan in Gaya.
In Gaya, Pind Daan can be done all through the year but it is better to perform Gaya shradh or Gaya Pind Daan during 1st, 3rd , 5th and 7th day of amavasya with krishana paksh in any month and during auspicious 18 days pitru paksh mela.
The auspicious 18th day of Tri paksha sraddha or Pitrupaksha mela,  is considered best days for offering pooja to departed forefathers or any departed family members.

This auspicious 18th day comes every year in September or October. when an estimated 6 to 7 lakh pilgrims arrive in the Gaya city
After ceremonies are over charity is given to Brahmins at Gaya in the form of Hiranya Danam (in cash). Charity can also be given in kind also like Rice, Ghee, Jaggery, Honey, Grandha (Book), Vasthra clothes, Paada Raksha (Chappals), Umbrella, Hand Stick, Fan, Sayya (Bedding), Phala (Fruits), Bell (Ghanta), Paathra (brass/silver vessel), Asana (Mat), Nava Dhanya which are called shodasa Danas. The best is Anna Danam, feeding Brahmins.

Pind Daan can be done with 25 Rs or up to 5000 Rs or more. People with small budgets are grouped so that the Pundit can perform the ceremony for 20 or more people together. If one gets a Pundit dedicated, the total budget including all ingredients and donation, etc. can range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. Westerners also come and do these poojas

The Pind Daan is typically performed by sons, or other male relatives such as brothers, father, grandsons etc. However if there are no close male relatives willing or able to perform Pind Daan, female relatives such as daughters, mother, granddaughters etc. can also perform Pind Daan.
We were taken by a priest to a small temple of Rama where the river Phalgu was supposed to be flowing along its banks but was dry when we went, so we had to be satisfied with tap water.
There our long wait started, our priest left us and went on some personal work ,so we were literally left to twiddle our thumbs  or meditate
 I was looking  curiously around me and saw many shops in the narrow lane selling mainly pooja items and found a young boy very fluently talking to pilgrims in almost all languages and persuading even the most reluctant  to buy .He was very proficient and professional ,I admired his business skills  and felt maybe marketing doesn’t need an MBA degree

At last after multiple hectic phones to Mr Manoharilal, our priest arrived and started the pooja ,he asked for details of our father in law and his fore fathers to know whether he or his ancestors had done the pitru pooja at Gaya and sent someone to search for details ,apparently they maintain a register of all poojas
 Our priest then gave us some rice flour to make round balls- pind numbering 105, we had to arrange 35 of them in 3 separate peepal leaves . This has to be later taken to 3 different places to offer

Pind daan can be given to friends or loved pets, it is said we can offer pind dhan to our own self if we were not sure of our children offering it, I felt this was too much and may not be true.
 At the end of  the pooja which lasted for almost an hour we had to give up together permanently 4 things in life, any one sweet, one vegetable, one fruit and one leaf, one is advised to better think before the trip and decide on our choices, whether to leave the most favorite one or the most detested one ,apparently a man who wholeheartedly hated his wife gave her up and wanted to leave Gaya without her anyway the pundits and his angry wife didn’t let him do that, that's one fun part of the whole ceremony.
 Actual idea is to renounce materialistic things, I was asking the priest why we were renouncing our favorite things in Gaya and not in Varanasi ,he blithely said Gaya was more famous for these things
And after all these procedures , we kept all the three leaves in one bowl provided and took it to 3 different places , first one we offered a cow at the temple where we did pooja ,one Panda came with us to take us to Vishnu Pad temple which incidentally closes from 12:00 to 2:00 pm for lunch  a fact which one have to be aware of and be alert, otherwise we have to wait till 2 pm in the hot sun
In the temple one priest did a very brief sankalp and asked for anna dhan , it is better we keep ready 50 ,100 or 500 rupee notes ready as no one is ready to accept anything less ,if we offer coins or 10 Rs note it is very scornfully thrown back at us
Then we were asked to go inside the sanctum where Lord Vishnu's Right Foot's imprint was there and on that we had to put the 33 pinds of one leaf, the imprint was 40 cm long foot and consisted of nine different symbols including  Shankam   Chakram and Gadha. These are believed to be weapons of the lord.

Vishnupad Temple is one of the major places of worship in Gaya and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This ancient temple is of an unknown origin , was rebuilt and repaired in the 18th century by Ahilya Bai Holkar. Lord Gadadhara ( a manifestation of Srimann Narayana ) is worshipped here
The temple has been constructed using the South Indian Shikhara style of architecture and stands out among the other structures in the vicinity.

 Atop the structure we could see a 50-kilo gold flag, donated by a devotee

We then went to Vat Vriksh where another priest was waiting to do a brief sankalp and again the anna dhan  request made after we kept the remaining pind at the tree,  actual Akshay Vruksh is 20 minutes away from the temple and can be approached by auto

Dress code is a must during the entire ceremony as men have to remove their shirts during pooja.
 Compared to Prayagraj and Varanasi I found the pandas more demanding and disdainful, a 100 Rs note was looked at in scorn and 500 Rs note was only accepted ,this sort of demanding  surely leaves a bitter taste in the pilgrims
We took a car and went to Mangla Gauri temple, mentioned in Padma Purana, Vayu Purana and Agni Purana and Shri Devi Bhagwat Puraan and Markandey Puraan and other scriptures and tantric works. This temple is among the eighteen Maha Shaktipeeth.

The present temple dates back to 15th century.The shrine is dedicated to Sati or the mother Goddess. Mangalagauri is worshiped as the Goddess of benevolence. This temple is where it is believed that a part of the body of Sati fell according to mythology. Here Sati is worshipped in the form of a breast, a symbol of nourishment.

The temple faces east and is built on top of the Mangalagauri hill. A flight of steps and a motorable road lead to it.
The sanctum of the shrine is very small with a very short entrance.I felt that  claustrophobic people should avoid this place. All together only 2 or 3 people can enter the temple
The whole temple was made up of a single stone. The main idol was a silver circular shaped one breast like pindi with the face of devi in it.. By the time we realised what we were seeing inside, we were forcibly pushed out by the other pilgrims LOL!

 A small hall or mandap stood in front of the temple. There were also two minor shrines dedicated to Shiva and images of Mahishasura Mardini,Durga and Dakshina Kali.

It seems Darshan can take around 5-6 hours if the queue is long i.e on Sundays, tuesdays and any other holidays or religious ceremonies ,we luckily could finish in 10 minutes

VARANASI GHATS AND GANGA AARTHI –HOLY TRIO –PILGRIMAGE INDIA

BLOG POST 3
We spent one more day in Varanasi, as a slot was given for our pitru poojas that day ,we went early to Dashashwamedh Ghat . As we got off the car and walked down the lanes leading to the ghats , we found that the town was stirring awake and that the Varanasi corridor was slowly but steadily clearing a way from and around the main temples .

Most of the times due to wilful concurrence of rulers , houses have been skilfully built around the temples ,I was wondering at the audacity of the people who were blithely living in the temples with self professed and false ignorance and now that someone bold and gutsy comes forward to prove that temples are meant to be lived in  only by the Gods, it irritates some of them

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated  work for Kashi Vishanath Corridor project on March 8th 2019. It is planned to be completed by December 31st, 2021.
The Corridor will have tight security regime and it will be divided into Red, Green and Yellow zones, there will be a ban on burning anything in the red zone including agarbathis and dhoop. Religious burning material, will be provided by the temple authorities in the yellow and green zone for pilgrims.
Temple authority is planning to plant over a thousand air purifying medicinal plants/trees in the corridor area which will also make Kashi Vishwanath temple area visually more attractive.
Buildings  in the K.V Corridor will have rainwater harvesting systems. The water saved/collected will be used in temple work.
The Corridor project will upgrade the Kashi temple’s main complex, mandir chowk, and ghats. It will also have galleries, museum, multipurpose auditorium, hall, bhakt-suvidha kendra, public convenience, moksha griha, bhojshala, rooms for priests and volunteers and book-stalls. For senior citizens, it will also have escalators.
The entry gate for the corridor from Ganga river’s side will be at Lalita Ghat . Kashi Vishwanath Corridor will have entry gates at Saraswati Faatak, Neelkanth and Dhundhiraj Gate. Whole area of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor will be under CCTV surveillance which will be connected to an integrated command centre for security.
I didn’t see any need for panic or dissatisfaction to be experienced by anyone as the primary intention of anyone visiting Varanasi is to bathe in clean Ganges water and have an unobstructed darshan of the holy God
We were walking swiftly towards the Dashashwamedh Ghat located at the bank of the river Ganges the name indicates that Brahma sacrificed  (medh)  10 (das) horses  (aswa) here,it is also said that  Brahma created the ghat to welcome Lord Shiva,
The ghat was very impressive ,the sun was just rising and sending lightening signals across the clean sparkling water ,boats were busily plying, flower sellers were laying out ribbons of colorful flowers skilfully woven into different sized malas

There were many decorously dressed tourists from different countries listening intently to the local guides about the ghats

Dashashwamedh Ghat, associated with two Hindu mythologies is one of best places to explore.
The Dashashwamedh ghat was  renovated by  Bajirao Pesava I in the year 1740 AD. It was later reconstructed by the Queen of the Indore Ahilyabai Holkar in1774.
We traced our priest who was sorting out all the pilgrims , some had ashes of their dear departed ones and some like us were there just for the pujas, he dealt with all of us in a professional manner ,I was reminded of  our senior surgeon doing major and minor surgeries and swiftly finishing his theatre list

Varanasi has more than 84 ghats with stairs leading to the waters. Bathing happens here seen since the crack of dawn.

Before going to Varanasi I somehow had an impression that the Ganges water would be very dirty with flowers and other waste floating along with the  half burned dead bodies beside us ,the reality was very different ,water was very clean and I could see the pilgrims happily chanting prayers and taking a bath and some youngsters swimming and diving in the waters

After our puja ,to appreciate the beauty of the ghats , we walked slowly from Manikarnika Ghat in north to Assi Ghat in south.The Whole walk was incredible because of kaleidoscope of objects and colors and not a single moment of boredom. I even saw a newly married couple

There was a huge number of people, from all over India and abroad ,I could see some aghoras too people were taking baths and drying their clothes ,bank was busy with the rituals and the river was packed with the boats.

Interspersed with the chatter of the tourists,there was clanging of temple bells and some touts could be seen very earnestly trying to entice people to buy silk saris in their shops
We then took a boat ride along the ghats , as we wanted a leisurely ride we hired a  small boat only for both of us with a promise that the boatman would tell us all about the ghats as we went along
Varanasi  has 88 ghats. Most of the ghats are bathing and puja ceremony ghats, The main group consists of 25 of them, and it extends from Assi Ghat north to Raj Ghat.  while two ghats are used exclusively as cremation sites ,Manikarnika and Harischandra ghat
The ghats were Assi ghat  ,Chet Singh ghat, Darbhanga Ghat a photogenic, visually appealing and architecturally impressive ghat featuring the luxury Brij Raman Palace Hotel, another very old Varanasi ghat,

Man Mandir Ghat is notable for its ornate Rajput architecture. Rajput king Man Singh of Jaipur built his palace there in 1600. An additional attraction, the observatory, was added in the 1730s by Sawai Jai Singh II, Scindia ghat, Bhonsale ghat and Panch Ganga ghat,Tulasi ghat is revered by all as it is supposed to cure leprosy patients
As we went along I saw a leaning temple on the banks ,apparently it was Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir or Leaning temple of Varanasi which is one of the most photographed temples in Varanasi.
 The temple, while apparently well-preserved, leant significantly towards the back side and its garbagriha is generally below the water much of the year, except during the summer

The temple was elegantly constructed in the classical style with a nagara shikhara and phamsana mandapa , as the temple is built at a very low level ,the water level can reach the shikhara part of the temple.
We were now going past the Manikarnika ghat where the dead are brought to be burnt ,we could see fires at various sites along the banks of the banks
The routine ceremony starts when the dead body arrives and is carried on a bamboo stretcher with the chant ‘Ram naam satya hai’ echoing through the air. Cost of cremation depends on the weight and type of the wood used. Sandalwood is the most expensive

An estimated 100 bodies are cremated daily at Manikarnika ghat , where a pyre burns 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Across Varanasi, nearly 200 bodies are burnt every day.

 The corpse is then dipped in the water of the River Ganges while the wood is stacked to build the pyre. Though photography is not allowed here, several tourists, especially foreigners were capturing videos of the ghat and clicking pictures from the boats.

Even I was busily taking snaps and started video shooting when suddenly our boatman a young boy in his teens told me “ madam don’t take videos ,it is an ill omen to take them home “,I stopped taking a video not wanting to take a risk of course
Legend says that Lord Shiva gave the boon of eternal peace to the Manikarnika Ghat. Lord Vishnu prayed to Lord Shiva to spare Kasi when the whole world comes to an end. As the wish was granted people come and settle in Varanasi in their last days to die here and attain moksha a state where there are no rebirths
One more myth says that Vishnu dug a well, the Manikarnika Kund for Shiva and Parvati to bathe in. When Shiva was taking a bath, one of his earrings fell into the well and since then it has been known as Manikarnika Mani meaning jewel in earring and Karnam the ear.
Our ride took us along the different ghats , palaces and lodges and houses , and we got a panoramic view of the river ,at one ghat brother of our boatsman joined us .

They lived across the bridge and studied only upto fifth class ,plying boats was the  only skill known to them and said they earned enough to support their family

After lunch and a brief rest we came back to the Dashashwamedh ghat for  Gange Aarti. By the time we arrived, already the ghat was getting crowded , lots of boats were plying and slowly coming and resting a few metres away from the sites where aarti would be given . Ganga Aarti is held daily at  sun rise and dusk. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
Duration of the Ganga Aarti is around 45 minutes. It starts soon after sunset. In summers, they begin at around 7 PM due to late sunset but it starts at around 6 PM in winters
 There are 2 places mainly at Dashashwamedh

 ghat one where 7 Pandits do it which is the main one and other beside this spot where 5 Pandits do it.
As soon as the aarthi time was approaching ,one could sense excitement in the air .First the group with 7 pandits dressed in white silk robes started the aarthi, offered flowers to  ma Ganga, blowing of the conch heralded the start

 and silence fell over the ghat ,all the steps leading to the ghats were jam packed with tourists ,there was a general sense of camaraderie and well being ,I felt that no one was in a mood to fight ,the water also seemed to be happily awaiting the aarthi .

There was camphor lit whose fragrance filled the air all around us and the brass lamps with tiers of wicks ,weighing 5 kgs or more were effortlessly handled by the young priests who conducted the entire aarthi in a very devoted and dignified manner

The group with 5 pandits dressed in yellow silk robes after a while started the aarthi ,Yak tail fans and peacock feather fans were also waved during the ceremony.

The ceremony ended with the priests offering holy water to the river which was a signal for all the tourists to light small lamps and offer flowers

Gradually the entire river was filled with small lamps of light floating along the water ,it was as if the sky had consented to lend the stars to ma Ganga for a while.

The whole experience of the aarthi was a life time experience ,unforgettable ,no snaps taken or videos shot could capture the beauty of the moment ,there are certain moments in our life when we feel this is the perfect time in our life when it is alright that we live no longer and Ganga aarti was such an enthralling one
Apparently a maha Gange aarti held at the ghat at Kartik Purnima is an awesome one which attracts an unbelievable crowd.
Last place to visit was Benares Hindu University, founded by Sanskrit scholar, Madan Mohan Malviya

Its sprawling buildings and hostels were awesome and humbling

Famed Bharat Kala Bhavan museum has a rich collection of Indian paintings dating between 11th century and 20th century .
Of course no visit to Varanasi would be complete without shopping and eating
The Sarai Mohana village weavers’ village is popular for its silk weaving and they produce finest silk saris , no bridal sari collection is complete without atleast one Banarasi sari. The masterpiece of the sari needs 15 days to a month and sometimes up to six months to complete.

Apart from saris, one can buy shawls, carpets, stone inlay work, bangles and idols of Hindu or Buddhist deities.

The main shopping areas to explore in this city include Vishwanath Lane, Thateri Bazaar, Chowk and Godowilia.
Food in Varanasi is a foodie’s delight .We relished the wide assortment of mouth-watering delicacies.
The famous snow cone, roasted peanuts, the delicious chat items like Tamatar Chat

 Pani Puri, Kachoris, Aloo Tikki, variety of sweets like Jalebis, Banarasi Kalakand, Rabri, the choice is too huge.
 Amitabh’s ‘Kaike Pan Banaras wala ‘makes us anxious taste the pan and we are lost in choices as there are plenty of them

Though we had been to Rishikesh and Haridwar ,I felt a different sense of belonging to Varanasi ,the long miles of ghats ,the sparkling Ganga water ,the cremation ghats always busy but with scintillating and buzzling life alongside and finally the evening aarthi makes Varanasi stand out and unforgettable it signifies that the spirit of our culture in spite of any effort to extinguish it  will still continue to blaze for all times to come like the beautiful Ganga Aarthi

VARANASI - THE HOLY TRIO -PILGRIMAGE INDIA

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.