Temples

Rishi Mrikandu and Marudwati did not have a child even after several years of marriage. The couple then decided to do Shiv Upasana and Tapasya to appease Mahadev.
Lord Shiva was happy with their prayers and asked the couple to make a wish. The couple asked Mahadev to bless them with 'Santan Prapti'.

Lord Shiva gave them the boon but had put forward two conditions :

Either their child will be a very obedient one and towards bhakti but will only have a life of 16 years
Or
The Child will be notorious and lazy but will live for many centuries.

The couple were wise and they decided to choose the former option. After some time they were blessed with a male child named 'Markanday'.
Markanday was an ardent Shiva Bhakta and when his 16th year was about to start he went and held the Maha Mrityunjaya shivling requesting Mahadev to save his life from Kaal.

Lord Shiva obliged his prayers and the Kaal who had come to take back Markanday to Yam Loka was defeated by lord Shiva and he came to be known as ' Maha Mrityunjay' i.e the one who obtained victory.

The Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi was built in the mid-17th century by Goswami Tulsi Das Ji who wrote the Ramcharitra Manas.

It is believed that Goswami Tulsi Das Ji got inspiration from Sankat Mochan Temple to write and compose the Ramayan.
It is believed that Tulsi Das Ji with his deep bhakti and devotion had invoked Sankat Mochan Hanuman to come in his presence where he with his own hands had done the Pratishta of the Sankat Mochan Swaroop in the temple. Initially, the Sankat Mochan Temple form was very small, but in the year 1900, Pt. Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya Ji got the temple re-constructed systematically, and since then till now devotees from across the globe have been coming here to pay their respects.

The episode of the divine meeting of Goswami Tulsi Das Ji and Hanuman Ji :
During his stay in Kashi one day while pouring water Tulsidas Ji found a ghost on the tree, which asked him- 'Do you want to meet Shri Ram?
To which he got surprised and asked - 'How can you make me meet Shri Ram?' The ghost told him that for you to meet Shri Ram you should meet Hanuman first.
After telling this Ghost started to move into a dense forest, and Tulsidas immediately followed him. It is said that as soon as Tulsidas went to follow him he went to the Assi area which then was known as Anand Van (Forest of Joy).

On reaching the dense part of the jungle Tulsi Das Ji started getting worried. In such a situation, he held his feet and said you are only Hanuman, please give me your divine darshan.
After this, Sankat Mochan Swaroop of Hanuman Jii appeared in front of him, and on his request, the place where this episode took place is today known as Sankat Mochan
Temple.

Once there was a confrontation between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma as to who was superior to them. At the same time, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a divine pillar which was lighted up both in the downward direction and also in the upward direction. Lord Shiva asked both Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu that the one who finds an end to this divine light will be declared the most Supreme.
Lord Vishnu sat on a 'Varaha' (wild boar) and went downwards whereas Lord Brahma sat on a 'Swan' and went upwards. Both of them tried very hard but could not find an end to the divine light after which they returned to Lord Shiva.
Lord Vishnu accepted that he could not find an end to the lighted pillar whereas Lord Brahma who was one of the heads used to tell lies saying that he did to find an end and hence he should be declared superior.
Hearing the lie from Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva got very angry and he took the Rudra Avatar (fierce form) of Lord Kal Bhairav. Only with one of his fingers Lord Kaal Bhairav take off the head of Lord Brahma.
As a result, the head of Lord Brahma got stuck in the hands of Kal Bhairav and he attained the 'Brahma Hatya Dosha'. Lord Kal Bhairav went to many places but could not get rid of the Brahma Hatya Dosha.

When lord Kaal Bhairav went to 'Vaikunth Dham' Bhagwan Vishnu guided him to go to Kashi to get rid of the Brahma Hatya Dosha. When lord Kaal Bhairav entered into Kashi the head which was stuck in his finger fell on the ground and he was freed from the Brahma Hatya dosha.
The place where the head of lord Brahma fell was known as the 'Kapal Mochan Teerth'. From that day Lord Kashi Vishwanath appointed Kaal Bhairav as the guardian of the city of Kashi. And gave a blessing that all the devotees who will worship Lord Kaal Bhairav in Kashi all their wishes will be fulfilled and they will attain Shiva Bhakti.

Shri Durga Temple of Varanasi is one of the ancient and historic temples of Varanasi.
History suggests that Shri Durga Temple was built in the year 1760 by Rani Bhavani who was the then queen of Bengal. At that time, the cost of building the Durga temple was 50 thousand Indian Rupees.
Maa Durga pratishthit in the Durga Temple of Varanasi is seated on Shri Yantra which makes it an ideal center for obtaining Devi Sadhna and bhakti.
Alongside Maa Durga, the viagra of Kaal Bhairav, Maa Sharda, Maa Lakshmi, and Maa Kali are also installed separately in the Durga Temple of Varanasi. It is mandatory to take the darshan of the unique priest's temple located in the Durga Temple after visiting the main deity and it is only then that the darshan of Maa Durga is complete.
According to Devi Purana Maa Durga rested in the Durga Temple after killing 'Shumbha' and 'Nishumbha' Rakshas. Maa Durga resides here in the form of Adi Shakti and this is from the beginning.
In times of Purana, there were only three main temples in Kashi, first Kashi Vishwanath, second Maa Annapurna, and third Shri Durga Temple. In the Havan Kund of the temple, Chandi Homam is performed every day here and the Agni in the Kund never extinguishes.
According to the 23rd chapter of the Devi Bhagwat Purana, the ruler of Kashi invited for a 'Swayamvara' of his daughter named 'Shashikala'.Soon after the announcement the king of Kashi came to know about his daughter's love affair with the prince Sudarshan, whom she had married secretly. The King of Kashi on knowing about
it called off the Swayavar.Princes of other kingdoms who wanted to pitch themselves for the swayamvara declared a collective war against Sudarshan and the king of Kashi after the news of the marriage was broken to them. Sudarshan and Kashi Naresh both offered their prayers in Shri Durga Temple and they both
received Devi Maa's blessing for victory in the war even though the odds were stacked against them.
After the war, the king of Kashi was declared the winner and he requested Maa Durga to protect Kashi forever and then the grand structure of Shri Durga Temple was built.

There was a Rishi named 'Mandhata' who was doing Dhyana to appease Lord Shiva at Kailash. Lord Shiva gave him darshans and blessed Rishi Mandhata but also directed him to go to Kashi and perform his Dhyan there.

On Makar Sankranti in Kashi, Rishi Mandhata had prepared 'Khichadi' Bhog to do Bhojan sewa to Sadhu and Sanyasis. Rishi Mandhata worked hard for the entire day, and managed to cook the food.

After feeding all the Sanyasis, Rishi Mandhata himself sat down to eat the remaining portion of Khichadi Bhog. Just at the same time, Rishi Mandhata saw a weak and old monk coming to eat Bhojan, due to which he was in a dilemma about whether he should give the remaining food to the old Sanyasi or take it himself.

Rishi Mandhata decided to divide the remaining portion of Khichadi into two equal halves, between him and the old Sanyasi. But in reality it was not an old Sanyasi, but it was Lord Shiva himself who had come to give him darshans.

Lord Shiva gave darshans Rishi Mandhata from the Khichadi Bhog itself along with the entire Shiva family i.e. Gauri, Ganesh and Kartikeya. After darshan, Rishi Mandhata asked God for this wish that he would give him darshan in the same form always. Lord Shiva blessed and obliged Mandhata Rishi with his wish. And the divided 'Khichadi Bhog' turned into a self-manifested Shiva Linga half of which is inhabited by 'Maa Gauri' and the other half by 'Kedarnath'.

This self manifested divine Shiva Ling is ardhanarishwar in nature and is also named 'Gauri Kedareshwar'.

When Mata Parvati inquired about the Omkareshwar Shivling, then Lord Shiva narrated a story from Kashi Khanda, Chapter 73.
Kashi is a holy place that is graced by many such Shiva Lingas. Lord Brahma once performed a terrible penance for many years, and an extremely powerful energy came out from below, entered the ground, and spread pure light all around. Lord Brahma saw the divine energy representing the three Vedas (Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas) in the form of a divine shivling. Lord Brahma saw the energy of Om, which today rules the entire universe, in that heavenly light, which stood for Akara, Ukara, and Makara. Lord Brahma saw a demon with four horns, seven arms, and two heads. He also saw a divine power that contained all the Vedas, Puranas, and the five Brahmans (Akara, Ukara, Makara, Nada, and Bindu).

The Panchakshara Linga (Panch+Akshara, which stands for the five syllables given in the titles above) mesmerized Lord Brahma so much that he started praising Lord Shiva whom he could see standing in front of him. The praises that Lord Brahma devotedly offered to Lord Shiva are described in great detail by the Kashi Khanda. Lord Shiva granted a divine blessing to Lord Brahma in response to his earnest prayers. Lord Brahma wanted Omkareshwar Mahadev to be the name of the Shiva Linga, which manifested as divine energy, and that Lord Shiva should always reside there. Accordingly, Lord Shiva granted permission and decided that the Shiva Linga would be known as the Shiva Panchayats and would serve as a representation of Aakar, Ukar, Makara, Nada, and Bindu.

Bankati Hanuman Temple is one of the most ancient Hanuman temples of Kashi. Long ago, there was a dense forest at this place, in which there were big trees all around.

According to popular belief, the idol in Bankati Hanuman Temple was found in the middle of the forest itself. That's why this idol is called Bankati Hanuman Ji the literal meaning which is 'Hanuman Ji amidst the Forest.

People slowly started worshiping Bankati Hanuman Ji in large numbers. During his stay in Kashi, Goswami Tulsidas, the author of Ramcharit Manas, used to regularly visit the Bankati Hanuman Temple to worship Hanuman Ji.

Tulsidas Ji all his life had great faith in Hanuman Ji and he worshipped Bankati Hanuman Ji with full devotion. It is said that once Bankati Hanuman Ji met Tulsidas Ji in the form of a leper (a
person affected with Leprosy) and gave his darshan.

The Shiva Mahapurana mentions Hanuman Ji as the 11th Rudra Avatar of Bhagwan Shiv. Bhagwan Shankar in the avatar of Mahavir Hanuman was there with Bhagwan Shri Ram
assisting and helping him in all his works and endeavors.

Lord Hanuman's strength was considered extraordinary, capable of even lifting the Drona Giri Parvat. He is also known as Vira, Mahavira, and Mahabali for his incapable strength and
wisdom.

Both the Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple and the Bankati Hanuman Temple belong to Hanuman Ji, who is the chief devotee of Bhagwan Shri Ram.

This Bankati Hanuman Temple is located in a very large complex. The vigrah swaroop of Bankati Hanuman Ji is installed in the middle of the Temple premises. The Bankati Hanuman temple is one of the most ancient Hanuman Temples of Varanasi.

Maharaj represents the five directions ime East, West, North, South and top directions. In the Panchamukhi swaroop Hanuman Ji's face radiates a brightness equivalent to the light of
thousands of Suns.
Shri Hanuman Ji took the Panchmukhi Avatar when Ravan, on realizing that he had to face defeat, sought help from his brother Ahiravan who was granted many significant boons.
Ahiravan using his Maya had put all the sena of Shri Ram to sleep after which he took Shri Ram and Lakshman with him to Patapuri. When the sena of Shri Ram gained consciousness, Vibhisan realized the foul play done by Ahiravan and he requested Hanuman Ji to rescue them back from the Patal Puri.
On reaching Patalpuri, Shri Hanuman Ji defeated Makardhwaj and on going inside he found out about the boon with which Ahiravan was blessed i.e he could be killed only by the one who could extinguish 5 lamps which were lit by him at once.
To tackle the situation faced by Hanuman Ji, he took the Panchmukhi swaroop and managed to extinguish all 5 lamps at once itself. After this Shri Hanuman Ji killed Ahiravan and also managed to rescue Shri Ram and Laxman Ji from Patalpuri.
From that time itself, the Panchamukhi swaroop Hanuman Ji started getting worshiped for completion of even impossible tasks and victory over enemies.

"Lord Jagganath who is the supreme commander of the universe, I offer my obeisances to you, Balabhadra and Subhadra".
"Lord Jagannath you are like a tuber of the bliss of the universe, you relieve the suffering of those who surrender to you. O Lord of the universe, the inhabitant of the Blue Mountains, I offer my obeisances to You".
Shri Jagannath Temple is a prominent Temple dedicated to Jagannath Mahaprabhu, a form of Shri Hari Vishnu. The Temple is of importance to all the Sanatan Dharma devotees and especially the Vaishnava sect.
According to the legend, Shri Jagannath Temple was first started to be built by Indrayumana (a Malava King) as mentioned in the Puranas and Mahabharata.

There are many legends associated with the origin of Shri Jagannath Temple :
Vaishnav Origin - The iconic presence of the trio i.e. Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra are the depictions of Krishna, Balram, and Ekanmasa trio. The Vaishanavacharyas believe in this theory of the origin of Bhagwan Jagannath.
Vedic Origin - The Rig Veda explains the origin of Shri Jagganath Temple from the wooden log 'Purusham' is a manifestation of Bhagwan Purshottam himself. The wooden log was a source of inspiration behind Bhagwan Jagannath.

Sheetla Mata is the Swaroop of Maa Parvati.
Skanda Purana describes a legend related to Sheetla Mata, in which it is told that Sheetla Devi was born from Brahmaji. Sheetla Mata is considered to be the form of Lord Shiva's consort Shakti. According to the legend, Maa Sheetla Devi had come to live in the kingdom of King Virat on earth with Jwarasura(a demon made from the sweat of Lord Shiva).
Maa Sheetla became angry with this behavior of the king, due to the fire of Sheetla Mata's anger, red spots appeared on the skin of the king's people present in the Kingdom.

People's skin started burning with heat. Then King Virat apologized for his mistake, and after that, the king offered raw milk and cold lassi to Goddess Sheetla, then Mother Sheetla's anger calmed down. Since then the tradition of offering cold dishes to the Mother Goddess has been going on, especially on the Ashtami Tithi.
According to the Devi Mahapurana, when Jwarausra gave bacterial fever to the small children, Maa Sheetla arrived to purify the blood of small children and also freed them of the
fever-causing bacteria. Maa Sheetla Devi resides with Ashta Bhuji swaroop i.e Devi with Eight hands holding Trishul,
Broom, Chakra, a Jar of Water, Neem leaves, Shankh, and Vard Mudra.
Maa Sheetla Devi symbolizes devi ensuring overall Protection, Good health, fortune, and power.

Pishach Mochan Kund is a sacred place for the mukti dham of our Pitra Devtas. It is mandatory for all devotees to perform Pind Daan in Kashi's Pishach Mochan Kund before
proceeding for Gaya Shradh.
Pishach Mochan is the teeth that for many years has continued to relieve millions of devotees from Pitra Dosh and other troubles in life.

There was a Brahmin by the name of 'Pishach' he used to only take Daan and never gave Daan to anybody. So what happened is after his death he went into 'Pishach Yoni'.
Desperate to get mukti he started praying to lord Brahma who instructed him to go to Kashi and pray to Kapardhiswar Mahadev, as he was the only one who could help him in attaining Mukti. Pishach sincerely offered his prayers to Kapardhishwar Mahadev on a daily basis and also took a dip in the kund near the temple before his prayers.
Finally, Kapardhiswar Mahadev, pleased with his devotion and sincere prayers, decided to free him from the Pishach Yoni. Mahadev instructed him to take a dip in the Kund after which he went from 'Pishach Yoni' to 'Pitra Yoni' and hence attained to mukti. The kund from that day came to be known as the Pischah Mochan Kund i.e place where even the worst of the people get free from their troubles.
Maharishi Valmiki also offered his prayers around the Pishach Mochan kund hence this place
also came to be known as the Vimalodak kund or Vimal Teerth.

Mahavir Hanuman Mandir, is one of the most popular Hanuman Temples. The famous Sankatmochan Hanuman Temple is located at one end of Varanasi and the Mahavir Temple at
the other end.
The Shiva Mahapurana mentions Hanuman Ji as the 11th Rudra Avatar of Bhagwan Shiv. Bhagwan Shankar in the avatar of Mahavir Hanuman was there with Bhagwan Shri Ram
assisting and helping him in all his work and endeavors.
Lord Hanuman's strength was considered extraordinary, capable of even lifting the Drona Giri Parvat. He is also known as Vira, Mahavira, and Mahabali for his incapable strength and wisdom.
Both the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and the Mahavir Hanuman Temple belong to Hanuman Ji, who is the chief devotee of Bhagwan Shri Ram.
This Mahavir Temple is located in a very large complex. The vigrah of Mahavir Hanuman is installed in the middle of the temple premises. It is said that the Mahavir temple is very ancient.
The Mahavir HanumanTemple was established by King Arjun by building this temple.

The origins of Maa Vindhyavasini Temple trace back to ancient Hindu mythology. Legend has it that the temple stands at the very spot where Goddess Vindhyavasini manifested herself to vanquish the demons and protect the righteous. Her divine presence in the Vindhya region earned her the name "Vindhyavasini," and devotees believe that she continues to bestow her blessings upon all who seek her refuge.

Legend associated with the origin of Shri Bada Ganpati Temple :

Bada Ganesh is the special and main temple of Lord Ganapati in Kashi . Here there is a self-manifested idol of Ganesha and special worship of the Lord is done here in a closed and sacred environment.

The history of the Bada Ganapati temple is said to be two thousand years old. The special thing is that this temple rests on 40 pillars and having 40 pillars in the temple is considered very auspicious.

The Bada Ganapati Temple has been built by carving Meenakari and stones. Here Ganpati Ji is sitting under a silver umbrella. It is believed that once upon a time, the Ganga used to flow near Baba Vishwanath Temple. Dhundhiraj Ganesh who is at Vishwanath gate and his form is also worshiped here.

According to Shri Shiv Maha Purana, there was a task given to both Bhagwan Ganesh and his elder brother Bhagwan Karthikey to complete one full Parikrama around the Prithvi, the one who will come first will be declared the winner.

Bhagwan Kartikeya started with the race sincerely with high hopes of being able to come first in the race. Bhagwan Ganesh meanwhile thought for long and in the end started doing the Parikrama around Bhagwan Shankar and Maa Parvati itself.

Bhagwan Ganesh Ji with his gesture symbolized that his parents mean the world to him and by completing their Parikrama he has managed to complete the Parikrama of the entire world.

Both Bhagwan Shankar and Maa Parvati got impressed with the intelligence and thoughtfulness of Ganesh Ji and blessed him with eternal wisdom and knowledge i.e why it is important to seek the blessings of Ganesh Ji before starting anything.
 

Legend associated with the Sakshi Vinayak Temple :
Sakshi Vinayak Temple is one of the most important Ganapati temples of Varanasi. The literal meaning of the word Sakshi is 'Eye Witness'.
After Bhagwan Shiv made Kashi his permanent abode to stay, a lot of people started coming in Kashi so that they can get their sins wiped out merely by having Ganga Snanam and the darshans of Kaal Bhairav Temple.
All the sages and devatas asked bhagwan shiv to keep a check on the devotees who came to Kashi for darshan and Parikrama Yatras.
Bhagwan Shiv instructed Ganesh Ji to take the swaroop of Sakshi Vinayak and be a witness to all the good and bad acts committed by the devotees in the sacred Kashi Kshetra.
Thus Sakshi Vinayak swaroop of bhagwan Ganesh witnesses all the devotees coming to Kashi Avimukta Kshetra and also the Panchkoshi Parikrama Kshetra.
The Darshan of Sakshi Vinayak is mandatory for those undertaking the Panchkoshi Parikrama Yatra in Varanasi, as it is in the Sakshi Vinayak Temple only where the devotees receive the Punya of their Yatra.
According to a popular legend Sakshi Vinayak reports all the details of what he becomes witness to bhagwan Kaal Bhairav who finally gives both blessings (in proportion to good karma) and punishment (in proportion to their bad karma).

The Legend associated with the origin of Shri Siddhi Vinayak Temple :
In the vicinity of Shri Siddhi Vinayak Temple itself Bhagwan Vishnu had done Sadhana after which Madhu and Kaitabha (both demons) who battled with him for thousands of years were finally killed.
Bhagwan Shiv had instructed Shri Hari Vishnu to do Ganesh Vandan before the start of the final battle between them, it is only after that the battle which had gone on for thousands of years finally came to an end and bhagwan Vishnu emerged victorious.
The Siddhi Vinayak Temple became the place where Bhagwan Shri Hari Vishnu after the thorough prayers to bhagwan Ganesh attained his siddhi and blessings, hence Ganesh Ji from then on came to be known as Siddhi Vinayak (and the temple as Siddhi Vinayak Temple).
Bhagwan Ganesh in the Siddhi Vinayak swaroop granted the wish of bhagwan Brahma to create the universe and this nature. Lord Brahma did countless jaap of the OM mantra to impress and appease bhagwan Ganesh and finally, he was blessed by the Siddhi Vinayak swaroop.
Once lord Brahma not only received the energy to create the universe with the blessings of Bhagwan Siddhi Vinayak, but he also accepted the wish of Bhagwan Brahma to accept the two daughters of Bhagwan Brahma Riddhi and Siddhi as his wife.

The Sanskrit meaning of the word Chintamani is the jewel that fulfills all the wishes of the devotees and takes away all the problems and sufferings from their lives.
Shri Chintamani Ganesh is also known as 'Lambodar Vinayak' because the entire universe or Brahmand i.e. Booth (past), Bhaivsya (future), and Vartaman (present) are located inside of him.
According to a popular legend, Bhagwan Brahma meditated in front of Ganesh Ji when his mind was restless. With the blessings of Maha Ganapati Brahma Ji managed to get rid of his worries hence he named Ganesh Ji as Chintamani.
Devraj Indra also worshiped Chintamani Ganesh Ji to get rid of the curse of Gautam Rishi. During the reign of Devodas when Bhagwan Shiv couldn't enter Kashi because of the boon of Bhagwan Brahma to him.
According to Skanda Purana Ganesh Ji took the Chintamani swaroop and came to Kashi disguised as an astrologer to remove the worries of Bhagwan Shiva and bring him back to
Kashi.

Legend associated with the origin of Shri Laxmi Narasimha Temple :
Laxmi Narasimha Bhagwan is the depiction of the fourth and most fearsome Avatar of Shri Maha Vishnu i.e. Lord Narasimha along with his eternal consort Maha Laxmi Devi.
Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha and came to Prithvi to protect his Bhakt Prahalad from his father Hiranakashyap who was a nonbeliever and an unkind king towards his subjects.
The meaning of the word Narasimha is a combination of man and lion. Lord Vishnu took the Narasimha form to complete a specific mission which had lasted only for a small duration.
Through the Narasimha Avatar, Lord Vishnu established righteousness back on the Earth and the message was established that those who obtain the Sanidhya of Narasimha Bhagavan don't lose any battles in life.
The Kurma Purana mentions the battle between humans and Anuradha (Prahalad's brother) who had an army of lacs of demons and was eventually defeated by a person who were half man and half lion.
The Shiv Purana mentions that Lord Shiva had to take the Veer Bhadra swaroop to pacify the world from the violent damage and destruction that was caused by Narasimha.
Lord Laxmi Narasimha's presence together is considered rare and boon showering for the devotees as the calm and fierce avatar of both deities present together provides the right balance in devotion to those who pray to him.

Shri Bindu Madhav Temple is the oldest temple of Lord Shri Hari Vishnu in Kashi. This temple is situated on the bank of Maa Ganga at Panchganga Ghat. Bindu Madhav Temple is a small homely temple in a simple building in Kashi.
According to a legend in the Kashi Khanda (mentioned in the Kashi Vishnu Yatra) when Lord Vishnu banished King Devodas from his kingdom, he established himself as Adi Keshava in the Padodaka Tirtha of Kashi. Thereafter, when Lord Vishnu reached Panchnad Tirtha, he was
overwhelmed by the glory of Kashi.
Lord Vishnu saw an emaciated sage doing penance at Panchanganga Tirtha. Lord Vishnu in his divine form appeared before the sage whose name was Agnibindu. Sage Agnibindu was overjoyed to see Lord Vishnu in front of him and he bowed down to Lord Vishnu and started praising him.
Lord Vishnu was pleased with the sage and asked him to seek some divine boon, then he asked that Lord Vishnu should always be available around Panchaganga Tirtha. Lord Vishnu accordingly granted a boon to the sage and himself in the form of Bindu Madhav got established in Panchaganga Tirtha. By his presence, the shrine is considered extremely sacred and devotees who take the darshan of Shri Bindu Madhav are blessed with wealth, good health and
all their sins are removed.

Lord Vishnu accordingly granted a boon to the sage, near the present-day Bindu Madhav Temple and further said that Kashi is a holy place and devotees can attain various siddhis by coming to Kashi. Along with this, Lord Vishnu also said that the people living in Kashi are safe, even the great holocaust cannot destroy Kashi.With the divine presence of Shri Hari Vishnu, the shrine of Shru is considered extremely sacred and devotees who bathe in this shrine are blessed with wealth and prosperity.
This Tirtha which can absolve all sins is known as Bindu Tirtha. In the month of Kartik, by taking bath in Panchnad Tirtha and worshiping Bindu Madhav, a person gets freedom from his sins. It is believed that Lord Vishweshwar himself bathes in this pilgrimage in the month of Kartik.
It is believed that Lord Vishnu, while giving a boon to Sage Agnibindu, had said that he would be known as Adi Madhav in Satya Yuga, Anand Madhav in Treta Yuga, Sri Madhav in Dwapar Yuga and Bindu Madhav in Kali Yuga.
The original temple of Shri Bindu Madhav was very large and grand which was once located at the place where the Alamgiri Mosque is today. Sri Bindu Madhav temple was established even before the 5th century AD.
There is a legend associated with the name of the Bindu Madhav Temple. A sage named Agni Bindu Rishi once lived in Panchganga and used to do great penance. Vishnu, who resides in Panchganga, granted a wish to this sage, who requested that Vishnu stay here for the benefit of all those desiring Moksha (the end of the cycle of death and rebirth).
Vishnu lived at this place in Kashi until as long as Kashi existed, even at the time of universal destruction. Vishnu decided that this place should be known by the name of the sage (Bindu), as well as his name (Madhava, the name of Vishnu as Krishna)

The Matsya Purana mentions that Shri Bindu Madhava temple was one of the most important Vishnu temples in Kashi, along with the Adi Kesav temple in the far north of the city. Kashi is mentioned in Rigveda, the world's most ancient book - 'Kashiritte.. Aap Evakashinasangribhita:'.
According to the Puranas, this is the original Vaishnava place. Earlier it was the Puri of Lord Vishnu (Madhav). Where Shri Harike's Anandashru fell, Bindu Sarovar was formed there and the Lord was revered here as Bindhumadhav.

Legend associated with the origin of Shri Batuk Bhairav Temple :

Kaal Bhairava is known as Batuka Brahma Vishnu, and is worshiped by Mahesh and treasure of mercy.
Kashi Puradhipati Devadhidev Mahadev resides in the divine city of 33 Koti gods. The scriptures and Puranas are witnesses to this and the devout people of Kashi also believe in this.
Baba Shri Kashi Vishwanath Darbar is special. It is believed that Bhairav Baba in the form of Kotwal is responsible for the maintenance of their city.
The child form of Kal Bhairav at Kamachha is considered to be less than eight years old. This is why he is called Batuk Bhairav. This temple is also mentioned in the Puranas. It is said that the temple was renovated by King Balwant Singh in the 16th century. They are called the planetary kings. Whoever comes here is freed from planetary evils by merely visiting them.
According to Shiva Purana, Batuk Bhairav or Bal Bhairav is the child form of Kal Bhairav. This form of Lord Bhairava is considered to be sattvic, beautiful and gentle. By worshiping Lord Bhairava in this form, the devotees also attain all kinds of happiness and Riddhi-Siddhi.
If the Bhairava Mantra is chanted in this form of the Lord, Bhairava is immediately pleased and blesses the devotee and all wishes will be fulfilled. Batuk Bhairavaji is the son of Durga who is immediately pleased. By the practice of Batuk Bhairav, a person can remove worldly obstacles in his life and achieve worldly benefits.

The mantra for worshiping Batuk Bhairav is-
The mantra of Sadhana: 'Seventh Bantukaye Kshu Krishna Apaduddharaka Kuru Kuru Batukaya Hrim Batukaye Svaha..' Recite the said mantra for 11 days till 21st Tuesday. After chanting the mantra, recite the Aparadha-Kshama Stotra. In the worship of Bhairav, one should also recite Ashtottara Shat-Namavali to Shri Batuk Bhairav.

The legend associated with the origin of Shri Asitang Bhairav Temple :
Asitang Bhairav is one of the Ashta Swaroop of Bhagwan Kaal Bhairav who himself is the Rudra Avatar of Bhagwan Shiv.
Kaal Bhairav Avatar is the ferocious form of Bhagwan Shiv which was taken by Mahadev during the time when Lord Shiva became angry with Brahma Ji as one of his 5 heads used to lie.
Once there was a conflict between Bhagwan Shri Narayan and Brahma Ji as to who is more superior. Bhagwan Shiv appeared in the form of Divya Jyoti (divine light) and told both that one who finds the extreme end of the light will be considered superior.
Lord Brahma sat on a swan and went above whereas Bhagwa Vishnu sat on a wild boar and went down. Both the devatas after much persistence couldn't find the end of the Divya Jyoti.
Lord Vishnu conceded that he couldn't find the end whereas Bhagwan Brahma lied and said that he did manage to find an end hence he is superior. This made Bhagwan Shiv very angry and he took the Swaroop of Kaal Bhairav to cut the fifth head of Bhagwan Brahma.
Bhagwan Kaal Bhairav attained to Brahma Hatya Dosha as the head of bhagwan Brahma remained stuck to his hands. Shri Hari Narayan told Kaal Bhairav Ji to go to Kashi to get rid of the dosha.
Just as when Kaal Bhairav entered Kashi the head fell to the ground and the Brahma Hatya Dosh was done away with. The place where the head of Bhagwan Brahma fell came to be known as 'Kapal Mochan Tirth'.
When Bhagwan Kashi Vishwanath was returning to Kailash he handed over the responsibility of Kashi in the hands of Bhagwan Kaal Bhairav. The Ashta Swaroop of Kaal Bhairav guards the city of Kashi from all 8 directions.

Laxmi Narasimha Bhagwan is the depiction of the fourth and most fearsome Avatar of Shri Maha Vishnu i.e. Lord Narasimha along with his eternal consort Maha Laxmi Devi.
Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha and came to Prithvi to protect his Bhakt Prahalad from his father Hiranakashyap who was a nonbeliever and an unkind king towards his subjects.
The meaning of the word Narasimha is a combination of man and lion. Lord Vishnu took the Narasimha form to complete a specific mission which had lasted only for a small duration. Through the Narasimha Avatar, Lord Vishnu established righteousness back on Earth and the message was established that those who obtain the Sanidhya of Narasimha Bhagavan don't lose any battles in life.
The Kurma Purana mentions the battle between humans and Anuradha (Prahalad's brother) who had an army of lacs of demons and was eventually defeated by a person who was half man and half lion.
The Shiv Purana mentions that Lord Shiva had to take the Veer Bhadra swaroop to pacify the world from the violent damage and destruction that was caused by Narasimha.
Lord Laxmi Narasimha present together is considered rare and boon showering for the devotees as the calm and fierce avatar of both deities present together provides the right
balance in devotion to those who pray to him.

Legend associated with the origin of Shri Anand Bhairav Temple :
Ananda Bhairav Temple is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. There are 64 Bhairava Temples, who are said to guard the cardinal points and control the different directions of Kashi. Kaal Bhairav is the chief of the Bhairavas and is considered the supreme ruler of universal time. Black dog is the vahana of Bhairav.
Eight of the 64 Bhairava Temples have special significance and are called Ashta Bhairav of Kashi. They are considered a very important Rudra avatar of Bhagwan Shiva.
These principal 8 Bhairav Temples are together known as Ashta Bhairava, the eight-Bhairava aspects. It is said that he is the guardian of 8 directions. Shri Anand Bhairav is considered to be the second among the Ashta Bhairavas.
Kashi Bhairav Yatra is an important part of the yatra which is part of the three most important Bhairav Yatras of Kashi i.e. Kaal Bhairav, Ashta Bhairav Temple, Ruru Bhairava Temple, Chand Bhairav Temple, Shri Asitanga Bhairav Temple, Krodh Bhairav Temple, Shri Kapal Bhairav Temple, Sanhar Bhairav Temple, Shri Unmat Bhairav Temple, Shri Bhishan Bhairav Temple and
Batuk Bhairav.
Ashta Bhairavas ("Eight Bhairavas") are the eight manifestations of Lord Kala Bhairava, a ferocious aspect of "Lord Shiva". Who is considered to be the supreme ruler of the time of the universe and the principal form of Lord Kaal Bhairav?
Lord Anand Bhairav is also known as Guru Bhairav among the local people and is believed to bless his devotees by increasing wisdom to lead a successful life.

Laxmi Narayan Bhagwan is the representation of both Shri Hari Vishnu and his eternal consort Maa Maha Laxmi. The Swaroop of Bhagwati is depicted in the temple as standing next to Vishnu Bhagwan who is holding the Sudarshan Chakra in his right hand.
Sangameshwara: The Laxmi Narayan Temple finds an elaborate mention in the Kashi Khand, Skanda Purana. The temple is elaborately praised, especially for various pilgrimages like Panchakroshi, Nagar Pradakshina, Jharkhand, etc.
The Baneshvara Linga is also present in the inner sanctum, and the Laxmi Narayan Temple also has the idols of Ganesh Bhagwan, Vishnu Ji, Surya Bhagwan, and Maa Annapurna.
The most significant legend associated with the Laxmi Narayan Temple is with regards to the Samudra Manthan where bhagwan Vishnu assumed the Kurma Avatar (2nd among the Dashavatara) to support the Mandara mountain during the great churning of the milk ocean by Devtas and Demons.
Maha Laxmi Devi appeared from the Samudra Manthan as one of the many treasures which came from the Samudra Manthan. Maha Laxmi Devi decided to marry Shri Maha Vishnu with the blessings of Mahadev to maintain the cosmic balance in the universe.

The legend associated with the origin of Shri Lolark Aditya Temple :
Lolark Aditya (Surya) Temple in Varanasi is located near Lolark Kund, Tulsi Ghat. Lolark Aditya is located at Lolark Kund near Asi Ganga Sangam in Varanasi.
Lolark Aditya (Surya) Temple has been given great importance in Kashi. Lolark Aditya is classified as one of the most beautiful places in Varanasi and is believed to take care of the welfare of the natives of Kashi.
Being at the Asi Sangam where the water of the Lolark Aditya (Surya) Kund meets the water of the river Ganges and then reaches the other shrines of Varanasi, it has been considered one of the main shrines of Varanasi.
According to a story narrated in the Kashi Khanda, Lord Shiva ordered Suryadev to go to Kashi and make some dent in the impeccability of Divodas' rule in order to reduce his powers and oust the righteous king Divodas. Suryadev obeyed Lord Shiva and proceeded towards Kashi.
On reaching Kashi, Suryadev got excited to find out the city that gives Moksha. Later, Suryadev conducted internal and external investigations in the city, but found no wrongdoing against the king.
Finally, Suryadev decided not to return to Mandarachal and established himself in Kashi in the form of his twelve vigraha swaroop. Being enchanted by the beauty of Lord Aditya Kashi, he came to be called Lolark here.

According to a story described in the Kashi Khand (Skanda Purana), when the Pandavas went to exile, Draupadi was very sad to see the plight of her husbands.(It is well known that Draupadi was married to all the five Pandavas and she also accompanied them into exile in
forests and other places).

She came to Kashi and started praying fervently to Lord Surya. Lord Surya was greatly impressed by her honesty and devotion and decided to appear before him.

Draupadi gave her a vessel and told her that the vessel would be the "never empty vessel" as she could feed any number of guests and the vessel would never be empty.
However, she should be the last one to eat. (Even now old time people say that the guests should be fed first and the women of the house should be eaten last).

Lord Surya also told Draupadi about a divine wish that Lord Shiva had granted her. According to this, the devotee who comes to see Vishweshwara in Kashi, if he first
worships Lord Draupad Aditya in Surya swaroop, then Lord Surya will have the power to remove all the miseries of the devotee.

Bhagwan Surya also says here that the devotees who worship him with a true heart at Shri Draupad Aditya Temple will never go hungry.

Legend associated with Shri Ganga Aditya Temple :
Shri Ganga Aditya (Surya Temple) In Varanasi, the Ganga Aditya Temple is located 1/68 below the Nepali temple at Lalita Ghat.

According to a legend described in the Kashi Khand, when the holy Ganges reached Varanasi, the Sun God arrived there to praise and worship Maa Ganga.

It is believed that from that day the Ganga Aditya was established there and even today Surya Bhagwan is there in the form of Ganga Aditya to praise the glory of Maa Ganga in Kashi.

According to the Skand Purana, devotees get freedom from all their sins and diseases just by having a darshan in the Ganga Aditya (Surya Temple).

In ancient times, the idol of Ganga Aditya was installed along with the idols of Ganga Keshav to the south of

Agastya Kund. But at present these three idols are installed at Lalita Ghat.

Vimal Aditya Temple in Varanasi is located on D-35/273 behind Khari Kuan, near Jangambari, Godaulia.

According to a legend mentioned in Kashi Khand, in ancient times a Kshatriya named Vimal, who was a resident of a hilly region, visited the place where his
forefathers were born.

He got afflicted with leprosy due to the bad omen and acquired injuries. So, he left his home, family, wealth, etc. and went to Kashi and started doing penance to worship
the Sun God.

Vimal always used different types of flowers every day to worship Surya Bhagwan. As a result, Surya bhagwan got pleased with his prayer and blessed Vimal and his leprosy
was cured.

By giving the boon to Vimal, Suryadev got established there and Vimal became famous by the name of Aditya i.eVimal Aditya.

Kashi Vishalakshi is a Shakti Peeth Temple in Varanasi. The earrings of Maa Parvati had fallen on this place and the devi came to be known as 'Vishalakshi' i.e the big-eyed.
The Skand Purana, Kashi Khand mentions the episode of Maharishi Vyas cursing the city of Varanasi that everyone in the city will be deprived of food.
Maa Kashi Vishalakshi then appeared disguised in the look of a Grihani (hosewife), to give food to Vyas Ji. Maa Kashi Vishalakshi is the only devi who had the power to satisfy lord Shiva's hunger.
Kashi Vishalakshi Devi is Pratishtit the Kshetra Devi of Kashi and holds the title of being the eternal consort of lord Kashi Vishveshwar.
Maa Kashi Vishalakshi has been worshipped as the Kul Devi of people from the Dravidian or Tamil cult. In general, Devi holds special significance for those in the south of India.

Sankata Devi is one of the prime goddesses worshiped in Varanasi city. She is believed to be one of the manifestations of Goddess Chandi and also a sister of Vaishno Devi.

Her shrine, which is a siddhapeeth, is situated near Sindhia Ghat. Inside the sanctum sanctorum is worshipped a 4-5 feet tall idol of Sankata Devi which manifested itself a long time back.

As per the local lore, the heroic Pandava brothers of Mahabharata had worshiped the presiding goddess of this temple during their exile into the forest.

According to mythological beliefs, the idol of Maa Durga installed in the Durga temple was obtained from
Durgakund. Famous for beliefs and wishes, this temple is crowded with people throughout the year. An annual festival is also held at this kund for about a month in the month of
Shravan.

The recognition of Durga kunds is religious, as well as these kunds are very helpful in preventing water logging due to rain water. The water is being kept clean by putting fish or
turtles in the pools.

There are clear indications from the water reservoirs that ground water from the city area of Varanasi comes into the Ganga, which proves that the groundwater level is higher
than the level of the Ganga.

In ancient times, people used to solve the problems of their drinking water through kunds and wells, but today due to the crisis in their existence, there is a hue and cry in
Kashi for drinking water.

In the present time, the government has paid special attention to the maintenance of this ancient Kund, so that the reverence with which people come to fulfill their
beliefs, they do not have to face any kind of difficulty.

Lakshmi Kund is situated around the Luxa road of Varanasi. The old name of Lakshmi Kund is also Laxman Kund.

The legend is associated with the Lakshmi Kund. Legend has it that 64 Yoginis were entrusted by Shiva with the task of guarding and protecting the various Kunds and poweful areas of Kashi.

Lolark Kund is also known as Surya Kund. According to mythology, the wheel of Lord Surya's chariot fell at this place during the Devasur Sangram, after which the kund was built.

Lord Surya Bhagwan established Shivling in the temple with his own hands which is called Lolarkeshwar Mahadev.

Any Puja or Seva that is performed on the Shivling goes not only to Mahadev but also to Lord Surya, making it a sacred place for both Surya and Shiva worship.

Even today, the first ray of the sun rising in Kashi falls in the Lolark Kund, the devotee who takes a bath in the Kund with full devotion, all his diseases are cured and wishes
fulfilled.

The king of Cooch Behar State located in West Bengal was suffering from skin disease and was childless. Bathing here not only cured his skin disease but also gave birth to
a son.

Raja Cooch Behar State rejuvenated the Lolark Kund area and also built the temple of Lolakreshwar Mahadev.

According to Skanda Purana Kashi Khand, Lolarkeshwar Mahadev is also known as 'Sarva Ashapurveshwar Mahadev' i.e. the giver of all desires.

This is the reason why Lolark Kund is the center of wish fulfillment, hundreds of people come to the templeeveryday to get their children shaved. Mundan Sanskar is performed in the temple after the wishes of the devotees are fulfilled.

Lolark Kund is the first stop in the Shubh Dwadash Aditya Yatra, Lolark Aditya is the presiding deity of the temple who blesses mothers with children in their destiny.

Lolark Kund is mentioned in Kashikhand, Sivamahapuranam, Vishnupuran, many Sanatani scriptures and scriptures.

Devotees should know the correct procedure of taking bath in Lolark Kund before coming:

Devotees should carry a fruit which they have to drop in Lolark Kund after taking bath.

Maha Sankalp is done by the chief priest of the temple on the fruit. It is believed that the same fruit becomes a child in the mother's womb, so the couple should not eat that fruit again during their lifetime.

During the Maha Sankalpa in the temple, Dakshina is offered by the devotees to keep the Akhand Deepak burning in the temple for 365 days. In these 365 days, the couple has to observe fasts and rituals prescribed by the head priest of the temple.

After taking a bath in Lolark Kund, the couple should not look back towards the pool. Devotees must carefully take care of the flowers given by the head priest of the temple in a red cloth, which is brought back to the temple when the couple is blessed with a child.

This is the complete and correct process of taking a bath in Lolark Kund, which can be summarized as 'The confluence of both the worship performed by the priest daily in the temple and the fasting ritual performed by the couple, gives the mothers the fruit of child happiness(Santan Prapti).

After taking a bath here, after having a child, the parents of the child also come here to get their heads shaved.

Vimal Aditya Temple in Varanasi is located on D-35/273 behind Khari Kuan, near Jangambari, Godaulia.

According to a legend mentioned in Kashi Khand, in ancient times a Kshatriya named Vimal, who was a resident of a hilly region, visited the place where his forefathers were born.

He got afflicted with leprosy due to the bad omen and acquired injuries. So, he left his home, family, wealth, etc., and went to Kashi and started doing penance to worship the Sun God.

Vimal always used different types of flowers every day to worship Surya Bhagwan. As a result, Surya bhagwan was pleased with his prayer and blessed Vimal and his leprosy was cured.

By giving the boon to Vimal, Suryadev got established there and Vimal became famous by the name of Aditya i.e. Vimal Aditya.