Varanasi City Guide
One of the most holy temples for Hindus, and amomgst the twelve Jyotirlingas of India, The Kashi Vishwanath Deity is amongst the oldest shrines in India. The temple is said to be existing from the times when earth was createsd.
The Holy Temple
The Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the holiest temples for Hindus. Situated in Old Varanasi, aka Kashi, the temple is always full of devotees. The shrine of lord Shiva is in black polished smooth rock. The shrine is surrounded by a silver wall. The temple is a regular visit for the locals. It is an important pilgrim centre for the Hindus all over the world. The Temple has been visited by all great saints- Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand, Goswami Tulsidas, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Gurunanak and several other spiritual personalities. The temple is open only to Hindus. Other religion followers are not allowed to enter the temple, though they can take an outside view of the temple.
Temple History
The temple is said to be existing since pre-historic times. The building of temple has been constructed and destructed many times. The last known invasion was by Aurangzeb, who destroyed the temple heavily. He constructed a mosque, called Gyanwapi Mosque, in the same compound. The mosque shares same wall with the temple. In 1776, Maharani Ahilyabai of Indore, donated heavily to re-construct the buildings of temple. Maharaj Ranjit Singh of Lahore is said to have donated 1000 Kg of gold to construct the 16 mt high spire of the temple. The temple was under control of the priests for long. In 1983, Goverment of Uttar Pradesh took over the charge of temple and appointed Vibhuti Singh, former ruler of Benaras, as the trusty. Heavy security arrangements have been made to make sure that no unfavorable incident happens near the disputed area of temple-mosque compound.
Religious Importance
The temple holds a strong religious importance for the Hindus. It is said that when earth was formed, the first ray of light fell on Kashi. Since then Kashi has become the centre for knowledge and sprituality. As per myths, after spending several years of exile, Lord Shiva came to Varanasi and stayed at this place. Brahma welcomed him by sending him a chariot of 10 horses on the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Dasashwamedh means 10 horses and this is how the ghat got its name. The temple of Shiva is said to be protector of the city. Vishweshwara jyotirlinga has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. Deeply and intimately implanted in the Hindu mind, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been a living embodiment of the timeless cultural traditions and highest spiritual values.
How to Visit
The temple is situated in the conjusted Vishwanath gali, in Kashi. The temple is reached on foot. Rickshaw or Auto-rickshaws provide services to the Godaulia crossing. From there one has to walk down the narrow and heavily conjusted lanes of Kashi to reach the temple.
