Here’s why Kashi is the spiritual capital of India; Kashi Vishwanath is described in Skanda Purana

The temple of Kashi Vishwanath is so old that it is said in Skanda Purana. There is a legend that Lord Shiva’s mother-in-law was worried that her son-in-law’s residence was not there. For the sake of his wife, Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva asked the demon Nikumbha to make a suitable place for his family in Kashi.

Mother was so pleased at this place that she fed everyone, hence she is worshiped as Annapurni. In fact, Lord Shiva is known as the lord of all in Shaivite literature. But the Lord himself asks the Goddess for food, that too in a begging bowl. In fact this place is believed to be one of the 52 Shaktipeeths (Kashi is the place where Shakti’s left hand fell after cutting off the body by the Sudarshan Chakra of Lord Vishnu).

There is an ancient Indian legend that the first ray of light was shown to Kashi on the day of the creation of Mother Earth. There are other legends as well which state that Lord Shiva actually resided in the city in the form of “Lord Kalabhairava” as the patron of the city.

War between Brahma and Vishnu

Do you know about the famous battle between Brahma and Vishnu about who is supreme? And the stake to see the depth and height of Lord Shiva? Lord Shiva took the form of a bright light which entered heaven and hell. He asked Vishnu and Brahma to find the height and source. Brahma flew into the sky in the form of a swan. Vishnu dug into the earth in the form of a boar. Even though he searched for aeons, he did not find the end of the light. Vishnu felt humbled and accepted defeat. But the Brahmin, unwilling to accept the defeat, asked the Ketaki flower that fell from Lord Shiva’s head to serve as a witness that he had seen the end. During a conversation with Lord Shiva, while Vishnu asked for forgiveness, Brahma lied. The enraged Lord cursed Brahma that he would never be worshiped on earth.

Kashi

Lord Shiva also cut off the fifth head of Brahma. After Shiva killed Brahma in the form of Kalabhairava, he was cursed with Brahma-killing. The fifth head stuck to his left hand. All attempts to remove the head proved unsuccessful. Kaal Bhairav ​​continued to roam on the banks of the Ganges river towards the south. At a certain point, the river turned north and entered Kashi. When he dipped his left hand in the river, his head fell from his hand and he became free. According to legend, this place became Kashi.

The city is built on the trident of Shiva

There is another myth which states that the city stands on the trident of Shiva. In short, Kashi is standing on the earth, not on mother earth. There are three temples that act as three points for the trident. They are Omkareshwar in the north, Vishweshwar in the middle and Kedareshwar in the south.

According to local folklore, there are eight Kaal Bhairvas who protect the city; Ashta Dikkugalu. The temples of these deities are present in eight major directions and protect the sanctity of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Actually, this city is considered to be the abode of Lord Shiva. It is widely rumored that before death, Lord Shiva whispers the Taraka mantra in the ears of the dead person to attain salvation.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

There is another myth regarding Garuda and lizards. But this is absolutely true! The eagle will never fly over the city and neither will the lizard make a sound. The story is about the time when Rama killed Ravana. To atone for his sins, he wanted to worship a swayambhu lingam. He entrusted this task to Lord Hanuman. When Hanuman entered the city, Garuda and the lizard helped him identify the linga. But he took the linga without the permission of Kaal Bhairav, the city’s protective deity. A fierce battle ensued which was cut off by the gods. In his anger, Kaal Bhairav ​​cursed Garuda not to fly over the city and not to make a sound to the lizard. The words are still true today.

History of Kashi Vishwanath Temple

In fact, the temple of Shiva, popularly known as Kashi Vishwanath Temple, is one of the 12 places essential for perfect health. The demon kings of other states include Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Mahakaleshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath Nag (Uttarakhand), Bhimashankar (Maharashtra), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Deogarh, Vainathnath Jyotir, eshwar (Gujarat). Rameshwar (Tamil Nadu), and Ghrishneshwar (Maharashtra).

Significance of Kashi Vishwanath Temple

It is located away from the original site. It was built by Ahilya Bai Holkar or given to Thane and gold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab.

One can read separately in the temple. The temple is established in the form of a quadrilateral and repairs. You can find Dhandapant, Vishnu, Saneshwar, Virupa, Avimukteshwar, and many more temples. With respect to this significance, any number of types can be up to 100000.

The small well of the temple is famous as Gyan Vapi. During the Mughal invasion, the chief priest jumped into the well along with the Shivling. There may be many temples in the world, but rarely will the aarti of the deity be performed five times. The duration of this auspicious work is done daily in the temple as follows –

  • Mangala Aarti – 3 am in the morning extends to 4 AM.
  • Bhog Aarti – 11.15 am to 12.20 pm
  • Sandhya Aarti – as the name suggests – takes place in the evening. 7 pm to 8.15 pm
  • Shringar Aarti – It runs from 9 PM to 10.15 PM after evening.
  • Shaina Aarti – In the last hours of the evening. From 10.30 to 11 pm.

Kashi can be called the spiritual capital of India. In fact, until the last century, it was believed that if someone dies in Kashi, his soul goes to heaven and will not be reborn. If they cannot die in Kashi, then at least their human body can be cremated at a holy place and the soul can attain salvation.