Tags
Hey everyone..🙋
Continuing my Benares tales..
On a fine Sunny day (Summer was just starting at the time I visited benares) about 3 o clock in the noon we set out to the market area again, To visit the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple..
Ohh you should google and read about the origin of the temple in detail, soo many fascinating stories surrounding it…
I will share a few as told to me and what I have read..
This famous Vishwanath Temple has been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times in history.
The old temple was demolished during the Mughal invasion by Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site..
The present structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is also popularly known as the ′Golden Temple′ due the gold plating done on its 15.5-meter high domes apparently donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh..
The Jyotirlinga present in the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India..
However, the original Jyotirlinga of Kashi Vishwanath, as was told to me, lies buried in a well situated inside the campus of the temple called Jnana Vapi or Wisdom well..
The story is that during the Mughal invasion the main priest of the temple jumped into the well along with the original jyotirlinga to protect it from the invaders..so I guess it lies there buried inside the well even today..
The temple is situated in the market area where in from the main market you enter a lane called Vishwanath galli and keep walking and walking..
You have shops on either side selling stuff ranging from puja articles , curios to bangles article sarees..
Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple..So we had to leave our cellphones, cameras and footwear at shops which have lockers..
After collecting our Puja thali..( Plate with puja items like flowers, sweetmeats, a glass of milk) we set out for our darshan..
Boy, you have heavy duty security checks there…
We waded through to have a darshan of the Annapurna devi (Goddess of food), the original statue made of gold ( or so i was told) is actually not on display and taken out only on a festive day when they feed 100s of people..
Inside the courtyard is the temple of Vishwanatha( Lord Shiva) surrounded by many subsidiary shrines.
With a quick darshan of all the other gods we made our way to the main temple..
The Vishwanatha temple consists of a mandapa and a sanctum.
Inside the sanctum a Lingam is set into the center of the floor in a square silver altar..The Lingam is of black stone..
Though the interior of the temple is not large and elaborate, it presents a peaceful atmosphere ideal for worship
It being a Thursday and an off season we were lucky as it wasn’t much crowded..
Oh this was my second visit to this shrine and yet I was feeling nostalgic..A feeling which can’t be explained..
We had to form a queue and wait for our turn..
When my turn came, I poured the glass of milk on the Shiv ling and offered flowers, the garland went right around the idol, I was all ecstatic..
We had to keep moving a tad bit too soon..
I again joined the queue and this time I got a huge garland taken from around the idol and some flowers in return..
I just could not have enough of gazing at the Shiv ling, So I again went around and got my chance to pray..
I stood far away and kept gazing and thinking..All these years so many poets, sages, sanyasis, great personalities and soooo many people came here just to have a darshan of this Shiv ling and here I was standing at the same spot staring away as the same famous Shiv ling..I was going all wheeeee at the thought…
So after having an heartfull and eyefull darshan , I walked away happy and satisfied with the holy Prasadam in my hand..ahhh happy happy as can be..
Soo many stories and mythology surrounding this place..
People especially from South India do make it a point to travel so far just to have a darshan of Lord Shiva and m here today at the same place..Really the feeling was great..
Hindus consider that they attain Moksha( Liberation) by visiting this holy place followed by a bath in the river Ganges..
Hence every Hindu atleast once during their lifetime makes it a point to visit this place…
Many legends also state that a true devotee achieves freedom from death and worldly ties by the worship of Lord Shiva..
Shiva’s devotees on death being directly taken to his abode on Mount Kailasa by his messengers and not by Yama (The Lord of Death)
It is also said that Lord Shiva himself blows the mantra of salvation into the ears of people who die naturally at benares, hence you find many people in their last days wanting to come to Kashi and attain Moksha here..
So much for the legends and stories of Kashi..giving me goose flesh even as I type away..
More in the next post until then have a great weekend all…🤗🤗🤗
Garfield Hug said:
Happy father’s day weekend here..unsure if it is at your end? Lovely post and your thoughts are beautifully shared. I felt the bazaar area gave me the feeling of the bazaar at Turkey. Very informative share of your religious culture😊 thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neethu said:
Thank You GH for taking time off to read it…💕💕🤗..
Wow Turkey!!maybe you should write about it some day for us..
Yes, it is father’s day weekend here too.. celebrated on Sunday..hope you feeling better…
LikeLiked by 1 person
mammaspeaks said:
Neethu, you explain it so well, seems like I visited Banares myself. Out of 12 jyotirlingas, I have been only to Somnath, Kedarnath, Trimbakeshwar and Pashupatinath (which is now no considered one of the 12 lingas, I assume). Seriously, longing to visit Banares, and witness the Ganga Aarti and eat the awesome food out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neethu said:
Aww thank you…my my you visited these many places..that’s like awesome..I have been to only one apart from Benares..in Srisailam..it’s in Andhra Pradesh..So maybe some day can visit the others ..
LikeLiked by 1 person
mammaspeaks said:
Yes, and will wait for your travelogues of these places!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sumith said:
Beautiful article. Enjoyed the read. Thank you Neethu.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neethu said:
Glad you liked it..thank you..😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
tingleurtastebuds said:
Lovely share Neethu. Have heard a lot about this temple and the way you tempt me to visit this place is just up to mark. You have given good reasons to visit. Just curious- nostalgic on this visit, then what’s special about your first visit?? Maybe you need to write another post on that. Happy weekend dear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neethu said:
Ahhh M…the place itself has this aura around it…so one tends to feel nostalgic ..the first time I visited initially dint feel anything but then it caught on..you must visit this place atleast once M..else no moksha😝kidding..
LikeLiked by 1 person
tingleurtastebuds said:
I know that. Will definitely visit. 😜😉😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: BANARAS # 5 | Outlaw_nee
Pingback: BANARAS #6 | Outlaw_nee
harivain said:
I’ve been to Kashi in the year 2000! I am waiting to go back! Would also love a trip to Shirdi!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neethu said:
I guess you can plan both next time you are in India😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pravir Kumar Rai said:
very good. pls visit my blogsite. have written an article on Kashi
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neethu said:
Thanks for stopping by..😊
LikeLiked by 1 person