Introduction
Varanasi is believed to be the oldest city on earth with an uninterrupted civilization. The place is sacrosanct for Hindus who consider it as the holiest of all places. Nearby is Sarnath, which is a revered place for Buddhists. Lord Buddha preached his first sermon there after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Each year, lakhs of tourists/pilgrims pour in from various parts of India and abroad. The name Varanasi originates from two words, Varuna and Assi. The former is a tributary of the Ganges that flows there whereas the latter is the name of a ghat. The city is built around Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a jyotirlinga believed to be associated with energy of “Moksha” (liberation).
It is only at Varanasi that the holy River Ganges flows in “uttarayan” (northward direction), which is considered auspicious. So, devotees’ visit is not just limited to their belief to atone for their sins in the present life by taking a dip in the holy river but also in their final moments to escape the never-ending cycle of birth and rebirth by attaining moksha. Varanasi also goes by the names of ‘Kashi’ and ‘Banaras’.
A pilgrimage was long overdue that finally materialized in the hot month of April, between the 27th to 30th.
Reaching Varanasi (Banaras)
The city has multiple train stations. The important ones are Varanasi Junction (code BSB) and Banaras (code BSBS). The latter has been recently renovated. Our trains reached a few hours apart in the morning and we joined forces at the guest house. There are plenty of options for local transport. Auto rickshaws and battery operated rickshaws are easily available both on sharing as well as full booking basis. The city bus frequency seemed to be dismal. Bike taxis available through popular apps are a good option for those with just a backpack. We used both auto and bike taxis from the station.
The narrow roads of the city get quite busy during the day. At some places near the ghat areas, we found one-way traffic being implemented to maintain the flow. By noon we had checked into and settled down at our guest house. There was still half a day available so we went out to explore.
A quick lunch at Banarasi Tadka
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is a top attraction in Varanasi and we wanted to cover it first. The development plan of “Kashi Vishwanath Corridor” was conceptualized around it. After a simple lunch meal of dal, roti and rice, we proceeded towards the temple.
Exploring the alleys of Varanasi
Our AirBnb host had suggested that we visit the temple in the afternoon, when the queue is shorter. With ample time in hand, a walk through the alleys of Banaras appealed to us.
We started from Tulsi Ghat and took the main road till Sonarpura Chowk. Thereafter, we left the main thoroughfare and entered the bylanes near Harish Chandra Ghat.
The alley runs parallel to the ghats and opens up into the main road near Dashashwamedh Ghat. Old palatial run down buildings line the narrow “gallis” (bylanes), reminiscent of a bygone era.
The numerous shops dotting the alley predominantly sell sweets, silk sarees and general goods. We passed by numerous guest houses as well as temples and ashrams there. The buildings are packed so tightly that hardly any sunlight reaches the road. It enabled us to walk around 1.3 km till Dashashwamedh Ghat in 5-6 degrees cooler temperature.
The archways and tunnels leading up to the ghats from alleys are ancient and make for some interesting sights. ‘Kedar Ghat’ was the first ghat that we visited. It was just a quick stopover to get a first glimpse of the river and click some pictures.
After having walked quite a bit, the alley opened up near Dashashwamedh Ghat into a wide street. There was a huge rush on the streets due to the influx of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They were participating in “Pushkaralu”, which takes place once every 12 years.
The road to Kashi Vishwanath Temple
“Godowlia”, a busy road intersection near the temple serves as a landmark to it. The pillar erected in the center has a Nandi Bull on top of it and is hard to miss.
But we did not have to go that far to reach the temple from our location. We spotted a side alley with an entrance gate. It had a welcome to Kashi Vishwanath Temple message written on it and so we happily entered it.
The temple trust operates a free locker service near Gate no. 4. Such a facility is also available at the numerous flower shops but we decided to avoid those. These shops tend to sell their merchandise in exchange for the free service.
Sugam Darshan
The booking counter for “Sugam Darshan”, a special service offered by the temple trust at INR 300 per person is near Gate No. 4. The package includes assistance from a priest, queue less darshan and prasad . At peak times, a queue forms even for the special service. We did not take the special service as there was no rush when we visited.
Inside Kashi Vishwanath Temple
It was already 3 pm by the time we kept our shoes in the shoe stand and entered the temple premises. After completing security formalities, we made our way to the courtyard that has the temple in the middle. There was a short queue for darshan. With blessings of the Lord, everything went better than expected. The authorities have done a wonderful job of developing and maintaining the premises. The beautiful galleries on all four sides offer visitors a place to sit and reflect. There are ceiling fans in the galleries which have been provided for the comfort of visitors. Beautiful paintings depicting tales and events from scriptures adorn the walls of these galleries.
Ahilyabai Devi Holkar built the temple near the site of the original one in the 18th century. Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab provided the one tonne of gold for plating the temple’s ‘Shikhar’.
We spent half an hour resting in the gallery before the monkey menace forced us back into the noisy and busy streets of Varanasi. Adjacent to the temple is the Gyanvapi Mosque, which has of late been in the news for various reasons.
Photography inside temple premises is prohibited. Visitors need to keep all electronic gadgets including mobile, digital cameras and smartwatches in lockers before going in. Therefore, we sincerely hope that our description helps to create a close enough picture in the reader’s mind of the divine Kashi Vishwanath Temple in absence of real footage.
