Varnasi, River Ganges and Ghats

We are glad to share our travel trip to Varanasi, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Ayodhya, Nemisaranyam and Lucknow.


Inspite of certain difficulties we had to face, we did enjoy our trip and it was a memorable one. The trip was for ten days including train travel. All arrangements were done only by phone calls, so there were problems in communication about taxi rates. They do not disclose everything and take it for granted that we are aware of it. This was the first time we faced such problem.


I feel south is much better in many things than north. Their taxi driver are not ready to show the places which you ask for, instead he decides for you, and say those are the places visited by pilgrims normally. This was major problem in going around the places of our choice. We were able to see just 60% of our choice.


Taxi or auto is not the mode of transport recommended for Kasi, since the lanes are narrow; always one has to walk a lot to reach the temples. I will try to give hints about the places which we missed, along with the one which we visited, so that it can help someone who goes through the information about our trip.

1. Varnasi:
   
   
   We did minimum rituals in Ganges shore after a dip in Ganges. The prohit arranged for a boat to travel from one end to the other end of Varnasi shore.
   
   
   The great river banks at Varanasi, is built high with eighteenth and nineteenth-century pavilions and palaces, temples and terraces, are lined with an endless chain of stone steps. We got down from the boat in certain ghats and the rest we saw only from the boat.
   
   
   
   
2. Ghats
   
   
   The five important ghats are Asi ganga Ghat, Dasaswameda ghat, Adi kesava ghat Pancha ganga ghat, and Manikarnika ghat.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   At every point one has to climb atleast 50 steps we had to go up and pass through small lanes to reach the temple. We took the boat from Kedar ghat.
   
   
   
3. Kedar Ghat
   
   
   We had darshan of Kedareeswarar in this ghat. The temple is in South Indian style. We see Nalwar sculpture on the temple walls. The shiva lingam was huge one.
   
   
   
4. Thirupura Bairavi Ghat:
   
   
   Here in this ghat we have varahi temple to visit. The temple is opened from 4 am and it is closed by 7am before sun rise. Here she is known as pdala varahi.
   
   
   Goddess Varahi is in basement room and no one is allowed inside other than poojari. We have a room to ground level and here there is a small opening just to peep through to have Pada darshan of varahi amman.
   
   
   There is one more hole from where you can see a portion of Goddess varahi. The distance from where we look down to see varahi is about 10’feet from ground level.
   
   
   
5. Bindu Madhavar ghat:
   
   
   
   We have Bhindu Madhavar temple here in this ghat. This is one of the panchava madhava kshetram. The main deity Bhindu madhavar with four hands is of saligrahma stone. They say the yatra completes only after a visit to the temple.
   
   
   
6. Hanuman ghat:
   
   
   Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara math, with patasala is on this ghat.
   
   
   Kamakshi temple is near by. The temple was constructed as acharaya wanted it.
   
   
   
   Main deity is Kamakoteswarar, and goddess Kamakoti devi. Siva linga is of saligrahama stone. The sculpture of goddess kamakoti devi is of green stone, Ganesha and Soorya dev are of red stone. In the temple we see pallikonda sivan also. The gopuram is of south Indian style. We see different forms of Lord Siva as we go around the main sanctum.
   
   
   
7. Sindhya ghat :
   
   
   we have a Dattatreyar temple. We see padam of Dattatreyar
   
   
   
8. Ghya ghat:
   
   
   Swamy Narayan temple is seen in this ghat.
   
   
   
9. Mani karnica ghat:
   
   
   There is a small vishnu shrine and Padhuka of marble stone on the embankment of the ghat. chakkra teertham is there wich we cannot see.
   
   
   
10. Pancha ganga Ghat:
    
    
    important for pinda pradhanam. {ritual}
    
    
    
11. Adi kesava ghat :
    
    
    
    This is the place where vishnu landed first as an emissery of and stands on the original site of the city before it spreads southwards. It is to the outskirts of city. Here River Orna mees with River ganges and sangamam takes place.

[Varnasi][Ganges][Ghats]