VARANASI

                                         Manikarnika Ghat

   As the name suggests, it's a city located between two rivers Varuna and Asi and hence called Varanasi. It’s also called Banaras, which is said to be the most ancient city on earth. The real name is Kashi and as per the scriptures, Kashi is located on the tip of Shivas trident. Thus there are so many mysterious references to this city, whatever may be such details but one thing is sure that every nook and corner of the city vibrates with cultural heritage and spiritual fervour. So many saints, sidhas and divinities have walked on its land that Varanasi has become the holiest of holy places. All the divines are present in the city in some form or the other, great sages like Yogishwaar Muni Jagyeshwar, Rishi Agnibindu, Kabir, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Tailang Swami, Vishudhananad, Lahiri Mahashaya, Vivekanand, Swami Ram, Sanyal ‘Kinkar’, Ma Ananadmayi also frequented it, to name only a few.

   The city is moving all the 24 hours. The very moment one enters it one feel a strong under-current. Pilgrims from all over India visit Varanasi, filing hotels and dharamshalas. Innumerable ghats are full of people taking dips in the sacred Ganges, offering prayers for themselves as well as their ancestors, giving daan in their name with pandas assuring them moksha (liberation). Boats are moving all over the Ganges, with people offering ‘sevian’ to migratory birds who, responding to the sound of ‘Aao Aao’, (‘come come’), converge around the boat and pick the sevian off the surface of the river with no inhibitions. It is said that these birds come from Siberia. That's just great! Even birds come making their annual pilgrimage to this holy city!

Dashashwamedh Ghat Aarti

   The evenings are filled with the spiritual fervour of the Ganga Aarti, where young pundits perform in tandem to the tune of slokas and stotras. Visitors clap along, foreign tourists click photos sitting on the boats and ghats where there are pilgrims, sadhus, cows and dogs all moving about and some children even playing cricket at night. The ghats are just fun filled all the time!

   The city is criss-crossed by a net work of narrow lanes where you get hot milk and sweets served at various corners at very cheap rates. Each lane seems to have some  known or lesser known temples or ashrams. 

Thus to visit even important places in the city one would need months. Going through various places detailed in the Puranas, a list of around fifty important Shivlings was made which are connected with various divinities and specific blessings were mentioned regarding them. Though, this present trip was not for visiting all those but still a few places were visited. Here some information on them is being shared with all who are interested.   

Mangala Gauri Temple

  

   This is the temple called Mangala Gauri near Panchnad Ghat. A big shivling is located here. It is said that Lord Surya (Sun) meditated here in the form of Mayukhadi. 

Mukhaditya Temple Yantra

                              

A small wall engraving of its chariot is there in black colour and another yantra is also engraved beside it as clear from the above figures. While meditating here, through his perspiration a stream issued, which was called river ‘KIRANA’.

KIRANA RIVER DEVI

 SARASWATI GANGA YAMUNA RIVER DEVIS

                                    DHOOTPAPA RIVER DEVI

    KIRANA River joined with another river called DHOOTPAPA. Where both the rivers joined, a shivlingam appeared which is called DHAUTPAPESHWAR. It is said mere darshan (sight) and bath in the two rivers removes all the sins of the pilgrim. King Bhagiratha, the son of King Dilip, brought Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati here which joined with Kirana and Dhootpapa and became famous by the name of Panchganga.  Just below the Shivling is Panchnad Ghat with statues of Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Dhootpapa and Kirana, representing the Panchnad or five rivers. 
    Tailang Swami took his final Samadhi here, jal Samadhi.  By bathing at Panchnad Ghat it is said one does not come back in the five elemental body again. One pierces this realm of Brahma and moves to the upper realms. If one takes bath here, performs Tarpan, and does Poojan in Bindu-Madhav Temple, then one will never take birth again in human form. Even his ancestors who have gone into various other yonis also get freed!  During Satyug it was known as Dharmnad, during Tretayug it was known by the name of Dhootpapa, during Dwaparyug it was called Bindutirth and during Kaliyug it is known as Panchnad Tirth. Giving even one ahuti here in yajna gives fruit equivalent to millions of ahutis! .....OM....SHAM.