Varanasi has many names. Kashi, the city of Moksha for Hindus
since centuries, Banaras known for its fine-quality silks, 'paan' and
Benares Hindu University and Avimukta of the ancient days, this city is
one of the most popular pilgrimage points, especially for Hindus. One of
the seven holiest cities, this city is also one the Shakti Peethas and one
of the twelve Jyotir Linga sites in India. Hindus believe that those who
die and are cremated here get an instant gateway to liberation from the
cycle of births and re-births. Abode of Lord Shiva, it is situated on the
banks of River Ganges, which is believed to have the power of washing away
all of one's sins. As pundits here will tell you, whatever is sacrificed
and chanted here or given in charity reaps its fruits thousand times more
than those good deeds performed at other places because of the power of
that place. Three nights of fasting in the city can reap you rewards of
many thousands of lifetimes of asceticism!More than 3000 years old, despite so many ancient Hindu temples that have been destroyed by Muslim armies raiding from the eleventh century onward, it seems that there are temples at every few paces in the city. It is really difficult to believe that armies of Qutbuddin Aibak destroyed more than a thousand temples in 1194 while Shan Jahan demolished seventy-six temples here. Jyotirlinga Visvanatha Temple or Golden Temple, rebuilt in 1776, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Jnana Vapi well (meaning 'Well of Wisdom) near it, is believed have been dug by Shiva himself. The majestic Alamgir mosque has replaced one of the most ancient shrine known as the temple of Bindu Madhava. The thirty-three hundred million shrines fill one with awe and wonder with sheer numbers.
The Ghats of Ganga are the most popular pilgrimage spots of the city of music and learning and the most sacred path is that of Panchkoshi Parikrama, the fifty-mile path with a radius of five miles that cover 108 shrines along the way, with Panchakoshi Temple as its main shrine. For those who are unfit to cover the path, walking round the sanctuary of this shrine covering 108 wall reliefs of the temples along the sacred way can be said to be a symbolic journey. Other popular pilgrimage route is Nagara Pradakshina, which covers seventy-two shrines along the way. Spiritual wisom seems to reign the aura od the city and Varanasi has produced great saints and personalities like Guatama Buddha, Mahavira, Kabir, Tulsi Das, Shankaracharaya, Ramanuja and Patanjali.
