Kaashi Yaatra in January 2024

My wife and I have been thinking of having the darshan of Lord Kashi Vishwanath after the expansion of the roads and the temple premises at the initiation of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji. Every Hindu wishes to see Lord Kaashi Vishwanatha in one’s lifetime.

One day, my brother-in-law called and told us they were planning a five-day tour of Kaashi from 13 January 2024 to 17 January 2024 and enquired whether we would join.  We immediately accepted the proposal to go to Kaashi.

This was our second visit. Ten years back we visited the temple. At that time, there were no direct flights to Kaashi from Hyderabad. Now, almost all airports in India have direct flights to Kaashi.

We started preparing for our journey. Our group consisted of ten members, other than the organizers. The organizers went to Kaashi on 12th  January and posted that the temperature was 10 degrees centigrade. Low temperatures affect blood circulation and lead to heart attacks. Existing heart patients must be careful. As a heart patient, I packed warm clothing.

Our son, daughter-in-law, my wife and I went to the airport and met my brother-in-law and his wife at the boarding gate. At the Varanasi airport, we received a very warm reception from organizers with unique garlands of colourful flowers from Kaashi.

We were put up in the Panchkote Hotel in the Shivala area, from the airport it took about two hours to reach the hotel.

Visit Kaal Bhairava Temple

It is customary to visit the Kaal Bhairava temple before visiting Lord Kaashi Vishwanatha temple hence, it is the first temple one must visit in Kaashi.

We started at 4:30 p.m. from the hotel.

In Kaashi, most travel to temples is by Totos, which are electric vehicles. Six people can sit inside one Toto plus one more besides the driver, making a total of eight including the driver.

The temples here are on narrow lanes four or five feet wide, with shops on either side. The lanes are laid side by side with stone or concrete slabs. Because of this layout, one gets bumpy jerks while travelling. The drivers here are experts in manoeuvring in these lanes. All locals use only motorbikes for travel in these lanes.

The Totos dropped us at a distance from the temple, and we all went by walking to the temple through the narrow lanes.

Kaal Bhairava, one of Shiva’s avatars, killed the Raakshashas during the Samudra Madhanam. He is supposed to protect us from fears and evil desires. The Deity is seated on a dog and always decorated with garlands from top to bottom, covering the garland of skulls, except the face. The face has a silver cover. He is the protector of the city of Kaashi.

Evening Ganga Aarti by Boat

Every evening there is an Aarti performed on the banks of the Ganga river.  To get a front view of Aarti, we went by motor boat from the nearby ghat. People are to wear life jackets on the boat. The guide on the boat explained the history of various ghats on the route. We found groups of cranes flying along with boats to eat the food material thrown into the river by tourists. 

After showing all the ghats, the boat stopped at Dashashwamedh ghat and we waited for the Aarti to begin. Several other big and small boats were at the place, and they tagged the boats with other boats.

The aarti started at 5:30 p.m., with seven priests performing. The chanting of mantras and singing of devotional bhajans continued. The Aarti took about one and a half hours. We returned to the hotel by 7:30 p.m. The boat ride on the Ganges was pleasant and satisfactory. Morning Ganga Aarti at Assi Ghat

We went for the morning Aarti at Assi Ghat at 5.30 a.m. in Totos who dropped us at a distance from the ghat.

Assi ghat area for devotees is plain, and visitors can sit on chairs. The Aarti started at 6.00 a.m. Young women chant Mantras, Bhajans, and Vedic shloka in an adjoining covered place with a music sound system on stage. They were standing and singing. The priests’ attire differed from the Dashashwamedh ghat, with the red shirts and white pure silk dhoti. The bhajans seemed to be different.

A hawan was going on a side-by-platform where many foreigners attended. We attended the same and offered our prayers.

Mangala Aarti Kaashi Vishwanatha Temple

On 14 January, we visited Lord Kashi Vishwanath for the early morning Mangala Aarathi programme. Our organizers bought the required tickets. The Totos dropped us off at a distance from the temple. We walked through the lanes and reached the temple complex by 2:45 a.m. People can’t take mobiles into the temple.

The police checked with hand-held electronic scanners and permitted through the queue lines. There was not much rush at that time.

The Aarti programme had already started, and many devotees were waiting before us. The temple authorities kept two screens, one big one outside the main temple within the complex and the other small one above the queue complex. The big screen clearly showed the pooja.

The pooja to Lord Vishwanatha started with the initial decoration of flower garlands after Abhisheka. Later, they removed the garlands and decorated them with sacred ashes(Bhasmam brought from the first funeral after 12.15 a.m. of the day at Manikarnica ghat) and allowed for darshan. The devotees were permitted to touch the Lord Vishwanatha and pray. A few members could go inside the Sanctum Sanctorium. The Lord Vishwanatha is lower, and the devotees must bend to touch it. The Lord Vishwanatha is within a rectangular enclosure of white marble stone.

We exited the main temple at about 5.30 a.m., sat in the temple complex for some time, and then went around the temple.

Second Visit to Lord Vishwanatha

We planned to revisit on 17 January 2024 early morning. We could not get  Mangala Aarathi and Sugam tickets on the Internet. Hence, we went for an early morning general darshan starting at 5.30 a.m. We walked for about fifteen minutes from the Totos drop point.

 The general darshan route was through the lanes, with shops selling pooja material on both sides. We had a pleasant darshan of the Lord as it was Sankranthi festival day.

In the temple complex, we meditated and offered our prayers to Maatha Parvathi Devi, Mahalakshmi Devi, and two Shiva Lingas at the back of the main temple, opposite the entrance gate from the Ganges River.

Renovated Temple Complex

The passages to the temple complex are the narrow lanes. The Lord Vishwanatha temple complex has a new look. This complex development is at the behest of our beloved Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji. The new complex was inaugurated on 13 December 2021 by Shri Narendra Modi Ji.   It was three thousand square feet earlier; now, it is five lakh square feet. The main temple is clear and surrounded by cement concrete passages. The temples of Maata Parvathi Devi and Maata Mahalakshmi Devi are along the complex passages. The present complex can accommodate about seventy thousand devotees. The complex has four main gates for entry; one is from the Ganges, so one can visit by boat.

Within the temple complex is a water well covered with wire mesh. The well supplies water for Lord Vishwanatha’s abhisheka. Beside the well is a big monolithic Nandi facing the Gyanavapi side.

Visit Maata Annapurneshwari Devi  

We visited Maata Annapurneshwari Devi on January 14th and 17th, 2024. This temple adjoins the lane of  Lord Kaashi Vishwanatha’s temple complex. After leaving the Lord Vishwanatha temple complex (the exit passage route is different), we went to the flower shop, where we left our footwear.

The temple is about 200 metres away. We waited for some time, offered prayers by touching Maata’s feet, and then returned on the same path.

On 17 January, after visiting Lord Vishwanatha, we again offered our prayers to the Deity. On this day, we were fortunate to enter Sanctum Sanctorum and pray at the feet of Maata.

Kaashi is a place worth visiting in one’s lifetime.

PRABHAKAR MUSIPATLA