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A short walk s outh of
the durga Temple is the modern marble sikhara-style Tulsi Manas
Temple, built in 1964. Its walls are engraved with verses and scenes
from the Ram Charit Manas, the Hindi version of the Ramayana. Its
author, poet Tulsi Das, lived here while writing it. You can watch
figures performing scenes from Hindu mythology on the 2nd
floor for Rs 1. The temple is open from 5.30 am to noon and 3.30 to
9 pm |
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The Durga temple is
one of the most important temples in Varanasi a nd is built in the
8th century, by Bengali Maharani and is stained red with ochre This
temple is built in north Indian Nagara style with a multi-tiered
shikhara(spire). The shikhara of the temple is formed by many small
spires which are built one on top of the other. Durga is the
'terrible' form of Shiva's consort Parvati, so at festivals there
are often sacrifices of goats. Non-Hindus can enter the courtyard
but not the inner sanctum. It is commonly known as Monkey Temple due
to many frisky monkey that have made it their home. |
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This place is well
connected by rail, road and airways. There are very good hotels and
restaurants to suit the requirements of all
Kaashi, Benares and Varanasi are the names of this city where houses
this Temple of Lord Shiva. This Jyotirlingam is one of the twelve
jyotirlingams of India. This place is situated at the bank of Holy
River Ganges. In the words of Hyuen Tsang, one of the Chinese
travellers who visited Varanishi in the 7th century,
wrote that there was a
hundred feet high statue of Lord Shiva made of brass. This region is
also known as Anandakanana which delights all the pilgrims and the
Lord.
It has been mentioned in Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana etc
that Kaashi is the place of liberation and salvation. Kaaskhi is one
of the oldest city of ancient India and famous for its holiness and
its culture. The
Benares Hindu University is also known
as Kaashi Vishwavidyalaya situates in this city which is the seat of
learning. Thousands of scholars come here from India and abroad to
study the old scriptures like Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas. It is one
of the oldest cities of learning. Mahashivratri in the month of
February is a very big festival at this temple. All pilgrims first
bath in the Holy
Ganges and then go to the temple of Lord Vishwnath and perform
Abhishek with the Holy Water of River Ganges.
There is a belief that persons who die and cremated here in
Manikarnika Ghat at the bank of River Ganges in Kaashi will be
liberated from the cycle of life and death. Accordingly thousands of
Hindus come and reside here to die in their old age.
types of the visitors. February, March, April, and September,
October and November are temperate months for the visitors and
pilgrims. |