The holy Kashi (Chap 1)

Kashi, also commonly known as Benares or Varanasi, is a city situated on the bank of the River Ganga (Ganges) and regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

Varanasi is a holy city and a very sacred pilgrimage place. It has the holy shrine of Lord Kashi Vishwanath and also one of the twelve revered Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.

There is a belief that bathing in Ganga remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Kashi is regarded as one of the Shakti Peethas, and that Vishalakshi Temple stands on the spot where Goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard river Ganga itself as Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries here, leading to the great Hindu revival.

Varanasi is home to four universities: Banaras Hindu University, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.

Varanasi has nearly 100 ghats. Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control. Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwes (Peshwas) stand out as patrons of present-day Varanasi. Many ghats are privately owned. Most of the ghats are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. Many ghats are associated with legends or mythologies.

People often refer to Varanasi as "the city of temples", "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of lights", and "the city of learning." Varanasi is a city of temples. Almost every road crossing has a nearby temple. Such small temples form the basis of daily local prayers and other rituals. But there are many large temples too, erected at different times through out the history of Varanasi.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, also called Golden Temple, which in its present shape was built in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, is located on the outskirts of the Ganga. This temple makes Varanasi a place of great religious importance to the Hindus, as Vishweshwara or Vishwanatha, the aforementioned Jyotirlinga of the Lord Shiva is enshrined here. In 1839, Punjab Kesari, the Jat-Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab donated gold to cover the two domes of the temple. On January 28, 1983 the Temple was taken over by the government of Uttar Pradesh and its management was transferred to a trust. The temple was once destroyed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who built a mosque over it. It was later resurrected at a location near the mosque.

The new Vishwanath Temple, called Birla Mandir, mainly funded by Raja Birla of the Birla family of industrialists, was built as a replica of the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Planned by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the temple is part of the Banaras Hindu University, and stands for national revival.

Sankat Mochan Temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and is very popular with the local citizens. It is a place for many yearly religious as well as cultural festivals.

Kala Bhairava Temple: It is the ancient temple of Varanasi near VishesharGanj. God KalBhairav is believed as "Kotwal Of Varanasi" , without his permission no one can stay in Kashi.

To every visitor; Varanasi offers a breathtaking experience. The temples and shrines along the banks of Ganga …soul stirring hymns and mantras …and the refreshing dip in the holy waters gently splashing at the Ghats. Varanasi – the land where experience and discovery reach the ultimate bliss.

Should you desire more info, pl visit the following among other sites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi

http://varanasi.nic.in/

http://wikitravel.org/en/Varanasi

I was planning to pay my 2^nd visit there on LTC. This time with parents, wife and daughters. On the day of departure, however, the Air India flight got cancelled.

गंगा तरंग रमणीय जटा कलापं गौरी निरंतर विभूषित वाम भागम्

नारायण प्रिय मनन्ग मदापहारं वाराणासी पुरपतें भज विश्वनाथं