Introduction:
Named after the confluence of two rivers, Varuna and Asi,
the city is centered on the ghats that line the waterfront.Varanasi,
or Benaras, (also known as Kashi) is one of the oldest living
cities in the world. Varanasi`s Prominence in Hindu mythology
is virtually unrevealed. Mark Twain, the English author and
literature, who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity
of Benaras, once wrote : "Benaras is older than history,
older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice
as old as all of them put together" . According to the
‘Vamana Purana’, the Varuna and the Assi rivers originated
from the body of the primordial Person at the beginning of
time itself. The tract of land lying between them is believed
to be ‘Varanasi’, the holiest of all pilgrimages. Varanasi
is one of the oldest living cities in the world and the ultimate
pilgrimage for Hindus, who believe that to die in the city
is to attain instant salvation. Varanasi is the tract of holy
land lying between the Ganga and the Assi rivers. The Assi
river also flows into Ganga. Varanasi is also known as Kashi,
the city of light since one of the twelve 'Jyortinglinga's
is installed here. Varanasi has been a great cultural centre,
especially in the fields of music, learning and the craft
of silk weaving. Varanasi, India's most sacred city is situated
on the West bank of the Ganga. Varanasi is also known as Benaras.
Varanasi derives its name from two streams, the Varuna on
the North side of the city and the Assi, a small trickled
on the south. Varanasi is said to combine all the virtues
of all other places of pilgrimage and anyone dying within
the area marked by the Panch Kosi road is transported straight
to heaven. It is also an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists
as it was at Sarnath (10 km from Varanasi), Lord Buddha gave
his Ist sermon after enlightment.
Varanasi today, is also a centre of education, art and craft
Nearly 5000 years ago, Kasikanda described the glory of the
city in 15, 000 verses in the Skanda Purana. In it Lord Shiva
says, 'the three worlds form one city of mine and Kasi is
my royal palace therein'. As Shiva’s abode Varanasi has always
been venerated. It is believed that the jyoti linga in its
Kasi Vishwanath Temple goes back to the time of the epics.
The temple itself is of more recent origin. Successive invasions
starting with the destruction of the city in 1193 by Mohammed
Ghori and ending with the plunder of Benaras by Warren Hastings
nearly 600 years later; saw the temple being built and rebuilt
a number of times. The present temple was constructed by Rani
Ahalya Bai Holkar, the ruler of Indore, in 1776. A few years
later in 1835, at the instance of the Sikh ruler of Lahore,
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the temple shikara was gilded with
gold leaf. The great Hindu city of VARANASI, also known as
Banaras or Benares, stretches along the crescent of the River
Ganges, its waterfront dominated by long flights of stone
ghats, where thousands of pilgrims and residents come for
their daily ritual ablutions. Known to the devout as Kashi,
the Luminous – the City of Light, founded by Shiva – Varanasi
is one of the oldest living cities in the world. It has maintained
its religious life since the sixth century BC in one continuous
tradition, in part by remaining outside the mainstream of
political activity and historical development of the subcontinent,
and stands at the centre of the Hindu universe, the focus
of a religious geography that reaches from the Himalayan cave
of Amarnath in Kashmir, to India's southern tip at Kanyakumari,
Puri to the east, and Dwarka to the west.
Varanasi is among the holiest of all tirthas – "crossing
places", that allow the devotee access to the divine
and enable gods and goddesses to come down to earth. It has
attracted pilgrims, seekers, sanyasins and students of the
Vedas throughout its history, including sages such as the
Buddha, founder of the Jain faith Mahavira and the great Hindu
reformer Shankara. Bharat
Mata Temple - Dedicated to 'Mother India', this
temple has a marble relief map of India instead of usual images
of gods & goddesses. The map is said to be perfectly in
scale, both vertically and horizontally. the temple was opened
by Mahatma Gandhi. Tulsi Manas Temple - Only
150m south of Durga Temple is the modern marble shikhara-style
Tulsi Manas Temple, built in 1964. Its two tier walls are
engraved with verves and scenes from the Ram Charit Manas,
the Hindi version of the Ramayana. Its author , poet Tulsi
Das, lived here while writting it.This Temple is on the spot
where Saint Tulsidas composed the Ramayana in Hindi (The Ramacharitamanas).
Durga Temple - The Durga temple is one of
the most important temples in Varanasi and is built in the
18th century, by Bengali maharani and is stained red with
ochre . This temple is built in north Indian Nagara style
with a multi-tiered shikhara (spire). The shikhara of the
temple is formed by many small spires which are built one
on top of the other. Durga is the 'terrible' form of Shiva's
consort Parvati, so at festivals there are often sacrifices
of goats. It is commonly known as Monkey Temple due to many
frisky monkey that have made it their home. Vishwanath
Temple - The Vishwanath temple, or Golden Temple,
is the most sacred temple in Varanasi and is dedicated to
Vishveswara-Shiva as lord of the universe. The original temple
was destroyed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and the present
temple was built in 1776 by Rani Ahilyabai of Indore . 800kg
of gold plating on the towers, which gives the temple its
colloquial name, was provided by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of
Lahore some 50 years later. Benaras Hindu University
- Varanasi has long been a centre of learning and
that tradition is continued today at the Benaras Hindu University
(BHU) built in 1917. It is considered to be the largest residential
university in Asia. It was founded by the great nationalist
Pandit Malaviya as a centre for education in Indian art, music,
culture and philosophy, and for the study of Sanskrit. The
five sq km campus houses the Bharat Kala Bhavan which has
a fine collection of miniature paintings, sculptures from
1st to 15th centuries. Ram Nagar Fort & Museum
- On the opposite bank of river, this 17th century
fort is the home of the former maharaja of Benaras. It looks
most impressive from the river, though the decrepit planking
of the pantoon bridge you cross to reach it is somewhat of
a distraction. During the mansoon access is by ferry. The
intresting museum here contains old silver & brocade palanquins
for the ladies of the court, gold-plated elephant howdahs,
an astrological clock, marcabre elephant traps and an armoury
of swords and old guns. |
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