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Varanasi, the holy city at the banks of river Ganges, is a highly revered place for the Hindu community. Considered pious in Hindu mythology, pilgrimage to Varanasi aka Kashi is highly reverent for devotees. Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one amongst the most salient temples in the holy Varanasi which attracts a lot of pious devotees yearly, from all around India.
On 13 December 2022 the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted various rituals and took a dip in the Ganges as he launched the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project in his constituency Varanasi in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. And on this special occasion let's see some interesting facts about Kashi Vishwanath Temple which are lesser known to a lot of us.
History
- The city of Varanasi is considered highly reverent since the time of Upanishads, Brahmanas and Puranas. Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi has been mentioned in the Puranas including the Kashi kanda of Skanda Purana.
Domes of temple - PC : Anonymous
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple has been destroyed and rebuilt time and again by different rulers. The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by the army of Qutb-ud-din Aibak when he defeated Raja of Kannauj. The temple was re-built, then destroyed and re-built; this process continued for several centuries.
- Mughals plundered the temple time and again. Though the Mughal Emperor Akbar gave permission to build the original temple, his great grandson Aurangazeb later destroyed the temple and built a mosque there. The present temple was built by the great Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar, the Queen of Indore.
- Kashi was originally derived from the sanskrit word 'Kas' which means 'to sparkle'. With numerous attacks and plunders over the centuries, the city's resilience is much appreciable!
- The Kashi Vishwanath Temple has three domes covered of gold! The golden chatra on top is believed to fulfil any wish that is made after seeing it.
Well of Wisdom- PC : John Edward Sache
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is revered as one of the 12 Jyothirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is believed that the faithful attains salvation if they see the Shiva Linga! Thus , this architectural marvel is frequented by a lot of devotees from far and wide.
- There is a 'Well of Wisdom' situated in between the temple and a mosque adjacent to it. It is said that the idol of Shiva was hidden in a well when the news of Aurangazeb's plan to destroy the temple spread throughout!
These are some lesser known facts about Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Write back to us if you know more interesting facts about Kashi Vishwanath Temple and do not forget to visit this beautiful shrine!
