Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most sacred
and famous temple in Varanasi. The Temple is extremely popular in all other
parts of India too. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is standing on the west bank
of India's holiest river Ganga and situated in Varanasi which is the oldest
surviving city of the world, and which is the cultural capital of India. In the
heart of this city is standing with the fullest majesty the Kashi Vishwanath
Temple enshrined with the Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishweshwara or
Vishwanatha meaning Ruler of the universe.
The temple town, which claims to be the oldest living city in the
world, with 3500 years of documented history, is also
called Kashi and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi
Vishwanath Temple.This one of the holiest existing place of Hindus, where at least once in life a Hindu is
expected to do pilgrimage, and if possible, also pour the remains of cremated
ancestors on the River Ganges.
History :
This temple has been built and razed to the
ground several times in its history. It was first destroyed in 13th century by
Bakhtiyar Khilji and was later rebuild. Then later Emperor Akbar donated
several acres of villages to the temple’s trust that was later cut down
substantially by Aurangzeb. Rani Ahilyabai Holkar in the year 1776 from Indore
built the present temple that stands in Varanasi. At that time Maharaja Ranjit
Singh of Lahore had donated 800-kilogram gold-plating of the towers that gave
the temple its colloquial name.
Significance :
Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is mainly
dedicated to Lord Shiva, who serves as the destroyer of worlds and the
presiding deity of the city. The myth aobut the temple is that it is been
believed that Varanasi is the spot at which the first 'Jyotirlinga' broke from
the earth's crust and then flared towards the heaven. Lord Shiva was
responsible fro this as he did it in order to take the final call in the war of
supremacy among the Hindu Gods.
It has been depicted in the scriptures that when
the earth was submerged under water (Pralaya), Lord Shiva upheld and holed this
place by his Trishul and belief even conveys that those who come and die here
attain liberation (Moksha). Lord Shiva gives the Tarak Mantra to the devotees
who die here. One who prays and worships Lord Vishweshwar with devotion attains
all his desires of happiness and liberation; and even the devotees who
incessantly recite his name attain all siddhis and finally gets liberated.
As one enters the Kashi temple from the southern side, the
first to the left are three temples in a row one behind the other – Vishnu,
Virupakshi Gauri and Avimukta Vinayaka. A cluster of five lingas enclosed in a
temple is called Nilakantheshvar temple. Just above the Avimukteshvara Vinayaka
are temples of Shanishchara and Virupaksha. To the right of the temples'
entrance is the enshrining of a linga called Avimukteshvara. There is a
controversy regarding the original Jyotirlinga at the place, which suggests
that not the Vishwanatha but the Avimukteshvara is the original Jyotirlinga.
The Vishweshwara Jyotirlinga which is considered as the one
among all the jyothrilinga has a very special and unique significance in the
spiritual history of India. Tradition says that merits earned by the darshan of
other jyotirlinga which are scattered in various parts of India is accrued by a
devotee by a single visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Inherently for long years the Kashi Vishwanath Temple has
been a living incarnation of our timeless cultural traditions and highest
spiritual values. The Vishwanath Temple has been visited by all great saints
like Adi Shankaracharya, Ramkrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekanand, Goswami
Tulsidas, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati, Gurunanak and even several other
spiritual personalities.
The Kashi Vishwanath temple receives around 30000 visitors every day. On certain occasions the numbers reach 100,000.
FESTIVALS
:
Mahashivratri
Rangbhari ( Aamlaki) Ekadashi
Annakoot
Makar Shakranti
Shrawan Maah
Akshya Tritiiya
TIMINGS :
Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi opens daily at 2.30a.m.
And the Mangala Aarati is from 3 to 4 a.m. From 4 to 11 a.m. general Darshan is
allowed for the devotees. During 11.30 to 12 a.m. a mid day Bhog Aarati is
being done . Again from 12 noon to 7 p.m. devotees are free to have darshan.
From 7 to 8.30 p.m., evening arati which is called the Sapta Rishi Aarati is
done after which darshan is again possible until 9 p.m. when Shringar/Bhog
Aarati starts. After 9 p.m. darshan from out side only is possible. Shayana
Aarti starts at 10.30p.m.The Temple closes at 11 p.m. Most of the Prasad like
milk, clothes and other such offerings are given to the poor and needy.
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