Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the

most famous Hindu temples dedicated to

Lord Shiva and is located in Varanasi, the

holiest existing place of Hindus, where at

least once in life a Hindu is expected to do

pilgrimage, and if possible, also pour the

remains of cremated ancestors on the River

Ganges. The temple is in Varanasi

(erstwhile Kashi) the state of Uttar Pradesh,

India.continued on page 12

The twelve jyotirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath at Deogarh in Jharkand, Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

This article along with captions and box items is based/adapted/excerpted from the book Banaras: City of Light by Diana Eck, religious scholar and Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard University.

Kashi Vishwanath

The India we see at Kashi Vishwanath and also at Kashi reflects the elaborate and ancient ritual tradition of Hinduism. It is a tradition of

pilgrimage to scared places, bathing in sacred waters and honoring divine images. It is a tradition in which all of the senses are employed in the

apprehension of the divine. Its shrines are heaped with fresh flowers and filled with the smell of incense, the chanting of prayers and the ringing

of bells. It is a tradition that has and images God in a thousand ways, that has been adept in discovering the presence of the divine everywhere

and in bringing every aspect of human life into the religious arena. It is a religious tradition that understands life and death as a religious whole.

u May 201310

Are there not many holy places on this earth?

Yet which of them would equal in the balance one speck of Kashi’s dust?

Are there not many rivers running to the sea?

Yet which of them is like the River of Heaven (Ganges) in Kashi?

Are there not many fields of liberation on earth?

Yet no one equals the smallest part of the city never forsaken by Shiva.

The Ganges, Shiva and Kashi: Where this trinity is watchful,

no wonder here is found the grace that leads one on to perfect bliss

- Skanda Purana - Kashi Khand (35, 7-10)

continued from page 10

Kaal Bhairav Varanasi

Bhairava, sometimes known as Kaala Bhairava, KalBhairab, Annadhaani Bhairava (In

Karnataka) Bhairo or Bhairon or Bhairadya or Bheruji (In Rajasthan), Kaal Bhairava,

KaalaBhairavar or Vairavar (In Tamil), is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva associated

with annihilation. He is one of the most important deities of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and

Nepal who originated in Hindu mythology and is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains

alike.

The origin of Bhairava can be traced to the conversation between Lord Brahma and Lord

Vishnu recounted in "Shiv Maha-Puran" where Lord Vishnu asks Lord Brahma who is the

supreme creator of the Universe. Arrogantly, Brahma tells Vishnu to worship him because

he (Brahma) is the supreme creator. This angered Shiva who then incarnated in the form

of Bhairava to punish Brahma. Bhairava beheaded one of Brahma's five heads and since

then Brahma has only four heads. When depicted as Kala Bhairava, Bhairava is shown

carrying the decapitated head of Brahma. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty

of the crime of killing a Brahmin(Brahmahatyapap), and as a result, he had to carry around

the decapitated skull for twelve years and roam as Bhikshatana, a mendicant, until he had

been absolved of the sin.

His temples or shrines are present within or near most Jyotirlinga temples, the sacred

twelve shrines dedicated to Shiva across India, including Kashi Vishwanath Temple,

Varanasi and the Mahakaleshwar Temple at Ujjain, where at the KalBhairav Temple, he is

worshipped by the Kapalika and Aghori sects of Shaivism, here one can also find the

PatalBhairav and Vikrant Bahirav shrines.

Kaal Bhairava temples can also be found around Shakti Peethas, as it is said Shiva

allocated the job of guarding each of 52 Shakti Peethas to one Bhairava. As such it is said

there are 52 forms of Bhairava, which are in fact considered as manifestation of Shiva

himself.

Traditionally KalBhairav is the Gramadevata in the rural villages of [Karnataka],

Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, where he is referred to as "Bhaivara/Annadhani" Vairavar.

In Karnataka, Lord Bhairava is the supreme god for the Vokkaliga community commonly

referred as "Gowdas", especially for the GangadikaraGowda caste he is considered as

the care taker and punisher.

In the form of the frightful Bhairava, Shiva is said to be guarding each of these

Shaktipeeths. Each Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple dedicated to

Bhairava.

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Most important is the linga of light itself – the image of the supremacy of Shiva. It is what Merica Eliade has called the axis mundi, the pillar at the center of the world, originating deep in the netherworlds, cracking the surface of the earth, and splitting the roof of the sky. In this linga, Shiva is not one god among others, but the unfathomable One. In this “partless” form , Shiva, transcends even Shiva himself, in embodied “partial” form. This is not Shiva, beautiful or ugly, dressed in silks or tiger skins, wearing the crescent moon or the necklace of skulls. This light is the mystreium tremendum which finally cannot be described or comprehended by any one or all faces and attributes.

God KalBhairav is believed as Kotwal Of Varanasi without his permission no one can stay in Kashi

13

continued from page 10

The temple stands on the western bank of

the holy river Ganges, and is one of the

twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva

temples. The main deity is known by the

name Vishwanatha or Vishweshwara

meaning Ruler of the universe.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple has been

destroyed and rebuilt a number of times.

The Gyanvapi Mosque, which is adjacent to

the Kashi Vishwanath temple, is the original

site of the temple before it was destroyed by

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. and a mosque

built upon its ruins.

The name of the mosque is Alamgiri Mosque

but it is popularly known as Gyanvapi

Mosque. The mosque shows evidence of

original Hindu temple in its foundation,

columns and rear. The old temple wall was

also incorporated as part of the walls of the

mosque. The deliberately retained

remnants of the temple are described to be

"a warning and an insult to Hindu feelings".

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple was rebuilt in

1780 besides the mosque and the two

structures have existed in harmony since

then, separated by a barricade of iron staves

and chicken wire.

The Gyanvapi - the well of knowledge - is

Varanasi Golden Temple

The current structure of Kashi Vishwanath temple is built by the Maratha monarch, Ahilya

Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780. The temple is also known as the Golden temple of Varanasi

because the two domes of the temple are covered with gold. The gold used to cover the two

domes was donated by the Punjab Kesari, the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled the

Punjab.

situated between the temple and the

mosque. The well is believed by Hindus to

be the location where the sacred Shiva linga

icon of the temple was hidden, before the

temple was razed by Aurangzeb.

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The Kashi Vishwanath temple has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. The Gyanvapi Mosque, which is adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, is the original site of the temple before it was destroyed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. and a mosque built upon its ruins.

16

The current temple structure was built by the

Maratha monarch, Ahilya Bai Holkar of

Indore in 1780. The temple is also known as

the Golden temple because the two domes

of the temple are covered with gold. The

gold used to cover the two domes was

donated by the Punjab Kesari, the Sikh

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled the

Punjab.

Since 1983, the temple has been managed

by the government of Uttar Pradesh. During

the religious occasion of Shivratri, Kashi

Naresh (King of Kashi) is the chief officiating

priest and no other person or priest is

allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. It

is only after he performs his religious

functions that others are allowed to enter.

The temple complex consists of a series of

smaller shrines, located in a small lane

called the Vishwanatha Galli, near the river.

The linga of the main deity at the shrine is 60

cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed

in a silver altar. There are small temples for

Kaalbhairav, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara,

Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha

continued from page 12

Manikarnika Ghat - Kashi

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Manikarnika Ghat is the primary cremation ghat in Varanasi.The well at the ghat is called

ManikarnikaKund and was built by Lord Vishnu

and VirupakshGauri in the complex. There is

a small well in the temple called the Jnana

Vapi (the wisdom well) and it is believed that

the Jytorlinga was hidden in the well to

protect it at the time of invasion. It is said that

the main priest of the temple jumped in the

well with the Shiv Ling in order to protect the

Jyotirlinga from invaders.

The temple is widely recognized as one of

the most important places of worship in

Hindu religion and most of the leading Hindu

saints, including AdiSankaracharya,

Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami

Vivekananda, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami

Dayananda Saraswati and Gurunanak have

visited the site.

A visit to the temple and a bath in the river

Ganges is one of many methods believed to

lead one on a path to Moksha (liberation).

Thus, people from all over the nation try to

visit the place at least once in their lifetime.

There is also a tradition that one should give

up at least one desire after a pilgrimage to

the temple, and the pilgrimage should also

include a visit to the temple at Rameswaram

in South India, where people take water

samples of the Ganges to perform prayers

at the temple and bring back sand from the

beaches near that temple.

Due to the immense popularity and holiness

of Kashi Vishwanath temple, hundreds of

temples across the nation have been built in

the same architectural style. Many legends

record that the true devotee achieves

freedom from death and sa? sâra by the

worship of Shiva, Shiva's devotees on death

being directly taken to his abode on Mount

Kailash by his messengers and not to Yama.

The story of the fiery linga begins and ends in Kashi. In Kashi mythology this is the place where the light split the earth and this is the place called Kapalamochana Tirtha, “Where the skull fell”

The superiority of Shiva and his victory over his own nature - Shiva is himself identified with death - is also stated. There is a popular belief that Shiva himself blows the mantra of salvation into the ears of people who choose to end their lives at the Vishwanath temple.

u May 201314

Lingam in the cave at Amarnath

1008 Lingas carved on a rock surfaceat the shore of the river Tungabhadra, Hampi, India

AshtaBhairava murthy lingas Koonanchery

Sivalingam at the Sri Meenakshi temple in MaduraiLingam at Jambukesvara temple in Srirangam

Some Prominent Lingas

continued from page 14

The Lingas

The Lingas

Lingas are of two kinds: those that can be

moved from place to place (chalaligas) and

those that cannot (achala linga). One can

buy a small portable linga in the market to

use for daily worship at home.Or one might

wear such a linga around the neck, as do the

members of the Vira Shiva or Lingayat sect.

A momentary (kshanika) is also movable: a

small linga hand fashioned of clay in which

Shiva is invited to dwell for the moment of

worship and which is removed away to the

Ganges or some another stream at the

conclusion of worship. The kshanika linga

dramatizes the Hindu understanding of

divine images: they are a focal point of

worship, a lens for darshanaand for a time

they are imbued with the full presence and

power of the Divine.

Of the non-moving lingas , there are two

kinds. First there are the swayambhu lingas,

which are said to have emerged

miraculously from the earth as hierophanies

of Shiva.( The term "hierophany" appears

frequently in the works of the religious

historian MirceaEliade as an alternative to

the more restrictive term "theophany" (an

appearance of a god). Eliade argues that

religion is based on a sharp distinction

between the sacred (God, gods, mythical

ancestors, etc.) and the profane. According

to Eliade, for traditional man, myths

describe "breakthroughs of the sacred (or

the 'supernatural') into the World" – that is,

hierophanies. (In the hierophanies recorded

in myth, the sacred appears in the form of

i d e a l m o d e l s ( t h e a c t i o n s a n d

commandments of gods, heroes, etc.).

By manifesting itself as ideal models, the

sacred gives the world value, direction, and

purpose: "The manifestation of the sacred

ontologically founds the world" According to

this view, all things need to imitate or

conform to the sacred models established

by hierophanies in order to have true reality:

to traditional man, things "acquire their

reality, their identity, only to the extent of

their participation in a transcendent reality".)

One enumeration claims that there are sixty-

eight such self-manifested lingas in India,

but in fact there are thousands of lingas

which people call swayambhu , affirming

that the Lord has appeared here by Divine

initiative. Second there are sthapita lingas

which have been established by people,

sages or gods. When they are consecrated ,

Shiva is invited to take up residence in the

linga. Such lingas go by the name of their

establisher as well as by the name of Shiva:

Ishwara or Isha, literally , the Lord.

Thus the linga established by Brahma is

Brahmeshvara and that established by the

moon, Chandra, is Chandreshwara. The

established linga partakes of the nature of

the establisher as well as that of Shiva.

Chandreshwara is especially associated

with Mondays, the day of the moon. The

linga of the yogi Jaigishavya called

Jaigishavyeshvara, is particularly honored

to obtain the high yogic attainments realized

by its founder. Despite their multiplicity,

Shiva is said to be present in all these lingas.

In the Kashi Khand, Shiva speaks to Parvati

of the multiplicity of lingas, both in numbers

and in kind, in Kashi.

Lord Shiva on The Multiplicity Of Lingas

There are uncounted lingas in the Forest of

Bliss ( Anandavana – ancient name of

Kashi), O Parvati. Some are material and

others are of a subtle or spiritual nature.

They are made of various gems, made of

many elements, made of stone. Many are

self-born and many are established by gods

and sages….

Those that have been established here are

the cause of liberation. Some are not visible,

some are visible and some are rather in a

miserable state . Even those that are broken

down by the ravages of time are still to be

worshipped, fair Parvati. One time I counted

a hundred billion of them. Six million of them

stand in the waters of the Ganges, those

lingas bestow yogic achievement and have

become invisible now in the Kali Age, O

Goddess. And of course those lingas that

were established here by my devotes after

the day I counted have not been counted at

all.

Above photos are of following Jyotirlingas

O m k a r e s h w a r , Va i d y a n a t h a ,

V i s h w a n a t h a , B h i m a s h a n k a r a ,

Triyambakeshwara, Ghushmeshara

Above photos are of fo l lowing

Jyotirlingas, Nageshwara, Mallikarjuna,

Mahakaleshwara, Chandikeshwara, and

Kalabhairava

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continued from page 13

The superiority of Shiva and his victory over

his own nature—Shiva is himself identified

with death—is also stated. There is a

popular belief that Shiva himself blows the

mantra of salvation into the ears of people

who choose to end their lives at the

Vishwanath temple.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple is located

almost 5 km away from the Varanasi railway

station and almost 6 km from the Banaras

Hindu University. The Kashi Vishwanath

temple receives around 3000 visitors every

day. On certain occasions the numbers

reach 100,000. Today about a thousand

policemen guard the Kashi Vishwanath site.

The jyotirlinga is the supreme “partless”

reality, out of which Shiva may sometimes

appear in bodily form as a “partial” reality.

The myth of the jyotirlinga is of major

importance to the mythology and symbolism

of Kashi, for here in this city that fiery column

of light is said to have appeared.

The story begins with Brahma, the creator,

and Vishnu, the sustainer of the Universe,

arguing about which of them is supreme. In

some accounts of this myth, such as that of

the Kashi Khanda and the Karma Purana,

Brahma and Vishnu call in the four Vedas to

settle the dispute.

The Vedas, however, testify , that neither

Brahma or Vishnu but Shiva is supreme. As

the two stand in disbelief, a huge column of

fire splits the earth between them and

blazes up through the sky to pierce the

highest heavens. Astounded, Brahma and

Vishnu decide to determine source and

extent of this brilliant pillar of light. Vishnu

becomes a boar and burrows deep into the

netherworlds. Brahma mounts his goose

and flies up as far as the heavens reach. But

even after thousands of years they cannot

find the bottom or top of the shaft of light.

When they have returned to the starting

place, Shiva emerges from the light in his

“partial” bodily form. Vishnu honors the Lord,

but Brahma is still conceited and deluded.

In the Shiv Purana version of the myth

Brahma lies about having seen the top of the

pillar and recruits the Ketki flower as a false

The Jyotirlinga Story

witness to support him. In the Kaashi

Khanda vers ion , Brahma speaks

condescendingly to Shiva, as an elder

would speak in recognizing the antics of a

youth. Whatever the cause, Brahma’s

slander against Shiva is punished. Shiva,

taking the fearsome form of Bhairava, cuts

off one of Brahma’s five heads, leaving him

with the four by which he is traditionally

recognized.

However, the skull of Brahma , tangible

evidence of the worst of sins – killing a

Brahmin – sticks to Bhairava’s hand and will

not come loose. Even the Lord must pay for

the sin of killing a Brahmin, so Bhairava

wanders all over India, the skull clinging to

his hand, until he comes finally to Varanasi

(Kashi) where the skull drops and Bhairava

becomes free of that sin … (For more on

Bhairava see Box on page 11)

Most important is the linga of light itself – the

image of the supremacy of Shiva. It is what

Merica Eliade has called the axis mundi , the

pillar at the center of the world, originating

deep in the netherworlds, cracking the

surface of the earth, and splitting the roof of

the sky. In this linga, Shiva is not one god

among others, but the unfathomable One. In

this “partless” form, Shiva, transcends even

Shiva himself, in embodied “partial” form.

This is not Shiva, beautiful or ugly, dressed

in silks or tiger skins, wearing the crescent

moon or the necklace of skulls. This light is

the mystreiumtremendum which finally

cannot be described or comprehended by

any one or all faces and attributes.

The linga of light was the first linga. After that

Shiva vowed that this unfathomable linga

would become small so that people might

have it as an emblem for their worship.

The story of the fiery linga begins and ends

in Kashi. In Kashi mythology this is the place

where the light split the earth and this is the

place called Kapalamochana Tirtha, “Where

the skull fell”.

Next month in the 12 Jyotirling series the

omkareshwar temple.

The Kashi Vishvanath temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli, near the river. The linga of the main deity at the shrine is 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed in a silver altar. There are small temples for Kaalbhairav, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha and Virupaksh Gauri in the complex. There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi (the wisdom well) and it is believed that the Jytorlinga was hidden in the well to protect it at the time of invasion. It is said that the main priest of the temple jumped in the well with the Shiv Ling in order to protect the Jyotirlinga from invaders.