12/19/24, 3:03 PM Notes on KASHI

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UPSC » UPSC CSE Study Materials » Ancient History » Kashi

Kashi
Kashi is one of the holiest cities of the Hindu religion and the spiritual name of Varanasi, located in
North India. In this article, we will give you a brief description of the Spiritual History of Kashi,
the ruler, and the significance of Kashi rituals.

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Kashi is one of the Sapta Puri or seven holy places in Hinduism. Just as all devout
Muslims visit Mecca, devout Hindus struggle to get past when they go to Kashi at
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least earlier. Hindus also believe that dying in Kashi could liberate them from the
cycle of life and death, or the samsara.The megacity Kashi, an Indian religious and
artistic center, is also a yoga center with its own yoga centers, escape centers, and
lamaseries. Kashi draws about a million travelers at a time, many of whom gather
on the shores of the sacred Ganges to bathe in its waters to be spiritually sanctified
and to perform the act of cremation. The main city is also home to two famous
Hindu temples, the Kashi Vishwanath, dedicated to Shiva and also known as the
Temple of Gold; and the Durga Temple, known for its throngs of monkeys.

The Legend of Shiva at Kashi

Kashi’s legend goes that Shiva himself was alive at that time. Shiva left Kashi for
some political reason. The gods were ashamed that Kashi would lose his respect if
he was not treated fairly, so they asked Divodasa to come to the king. But he set the
condition, “If I have to come to the king, Shiva must go, because if I have him, being
king will not work. People will gather around him. ” That’s when Shiva, set out for
Mount Mandara, along with Parvati,

Kashi as Varanasi
In this era, Kashi has many names- Varanasi, Banaras, and so on. It is one of the
oldest cities established on this planet. The capital city Varanasi was located
between the two rivers named Varuna and Asi.

The ruler of Kashi, Brihadratha

The last ruler of the Mauryan Empire was Brihadratha Maurya, the eldest son of the
Uparichara Vasu. King Brihadratha Kashi defeated Kosala, during Buddha’s time
Kashi was captured in Kosala by King Kansa. The Kashi, as well as the Kosala and
Videhan, are mentioned in the Vedic texts and appear to have been closely
associated.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

This temple is located in the Vishwanath Gali of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is
established in dedication to Lord Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of the

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Shiva temples. It had been demolished by many Muslim autocrats several times,
most recently by Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who built the Gyanvapi
Mosque in its place. The present building was erected in a difficult area by the
Maratha king, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore during the 1780s. Since 1983, the
Government of Uttar Pradesh has managed this temple.

Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple

At Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is situated. The
temple has developed a nine-degree slant and was built extremely close to the
River Ganges. There was a mystery behind the nine-degree severe Lean of this
Temple. It is estimated that either it may be a structural problem or because of a
curse.

Panchakroshi Yatra
Panchakroshi Yatra is one of the most important pada Yatras made by pilgrims
around the holy Kashi Mandala. The Panchakroshi Yatra begins by immersion in the
Ganga River at Manikarnika Ghat.

The first major temple on this route is the Aadhikarmadheshwar temple. The
experiment here was consecrated by Sage Karmadeshwar. In the Kashi Khanda
Purana, yakshas and Ganas are said to thrive on trees and near water sources. On
this route, their places of worship are arranged in the same manner.
The second temple on the route is the Bhimachandi mandir. The Durga temple is
said to have been founded by Gandharva, who worshiped Devi here.
The third is the temple of Dehali Vinayak. This temple is directly related to the
temple of Kashi Vishwanath, which marks the center mark of the yatra. It is said that
before entering Kashi, King Rama meditated. The fourth is the Rameshwaram
temple. The temple is said to be similar to the temple in Rameshwaram in southern
India. It is located on the banks of the Varuna River and marks the northern area of ​
the yatra.

The Ganga Arati

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Ganga Arati is traditionally held every evening at sunset on the Kashi River. It is a
wonderful spirit that you can enjoy, as well as a powerful process if you let it. The
most important aspect of Yoga is known as Bhuta Shuddhi, which is about working
to create certain freedom in five parts because creation is the evil of five things. In
Bhuta Shuddhi, sadhana is an all-encompassing area – land, air, fire, water, and
land.

Significance of Kashi Rituals

Kashi is full of traditions. It was a ritual center. There is nothing as sure as doing
something inside – that is the best way to do it. Once you are introduced to the
spiritual plane, that is what you should rely on. But these practices were not public.
They do not know what to do with themselves, but they know enough to do
something about it. If so, a tool such as Kashi, with its sophisticated rituals
associated with this tool, is very useful because it treats people in large numbers.

Conclusion
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is well-known as one of the most important places of
worship for the Hindu religion, located in Kashi. Inside the Kashi Vishwanath temple
is Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishveshvara, or Vishvanath. Vishweshwar Jyotirlinga has a
very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India.

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation.

What is the significance of Kashi for Hindus?

For Hindus, this is a holy city, for it is where Shiva lives as Kashi Viswan...Read full

State the specialty of Panchakroshi Yatra in Kashi?

Panchakroshi Yatra is one of the most important pada Yatras made by pilgrims around the holy
Kashi Mandala. Along th...Read full

Elaborate the Manikarnika Ghat story of Varanasi?

There are rumors about how Manikarnika Ghat came to be. Parvati lowered the earring at Shiva’s
command. Vishnu, be...Read full

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