Varanasi

Varanasi, which was earlier known as Banaras and Kashi, is located in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a very popular pilgrimage spot among the Hindus. It is known for its temples, paan and silk sarees. September to March is a good time to visit Varanasi

Varanasi is the oldest city in the world and is often referred to as the cultural capital of India. It is most famous for its Kashi Vishwanath temple, which houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is at the heart of the city and is also known as the Golden temple. Situated on the western bank of River Ganges, the Kashi Vishwanath temple looks majestic. Back in the 1780s, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar built this temple. It is said that Lord Shiva once came in one of her dreams and that prompted her to build a temple dedicated to him. It was built in the Nagara style of architecture and is considered as one of the masterpieces in the country. In fact the architectures of many other temples have been inspired by the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The intricate and delicate carvings in the temple are fabulous. The Geeta has been inscribed on the marble walls of the temple. A few years later a Naubatkhana (drum house) was built in front of this temple and much later in the year 1839 two domes of the temple were covered with gold, which was donated by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. It is due to these gold plated domes that the temple came to be known as the Golden temple.

The Varanasi temple complex consists of a number of small shrines. The idol of the main deity, the Shiva lingam is housed in the main sanctum. The lingam, which is 60 centimeters tall, is made of black stone and it is placed on a solid silver plinth. The shrines of Mahakala and Dandapani as well as the lingam of Avimukteshwara also reside in the same temple complex.

The temple opens for aarti very early in the morning at 2:30 a.m and devotees are allowed to witness the aarti from 3:00 am. The temple closes at 11:00 p.m in the night

Millions of devotees, not only from different parts of India but also from abroad, throng this temple to offer their prayers. Many devotees take a bath in the Ganges River before proceeding to the temple for Darshan. It is believed that this holy bath purges you of all your sins. There is also a tradition of giving up one desire after a visit to this temple that devotees follow.