OLD COUPLES KASHI YATRA VIA KHAJURAHO (6)

---

OLD COUPLES KASHI YATRA VIA KHAJURAHO (6)

4th October, 2007 - Thursday.

Today we have again decided to perform Panchamrita Abhishekam to Lord Visweswara and to perform Kumkumapuja to Kasi Visaalakshi. Kasi Visaalakshi temple is one of the Ashtadasa Sakthi Peethams. We requested Shri Dayanidhi to help us perform Panchamrita Abhishekam to Lord Visweswara. If we engage the services of a local priest then only we can leisurely perform the Abhishekam or Pujas in the temples at Varanasi. Otherwise, we will be pushed out of the temple by the priests the moment we have darshan of the icon. They purposely do it for the purpose of earning more money from the pilgrims. Kasi Temple Purohits are not an exception to this rule and I find they are more greedier than the purohits in other temples. Money has a special quality that is the more one have, one craves for the more. We go to punya kshetras out of devotion whereas for the priests in temples, it is a profession and livelihood for them for earning money. Leaving these general aspects aside, we satisfactorily performed Abhishekam to Lord Visweswara with the help of Shri Dayanidhi and after visiting the temple and having darshan of matha Annapurneswari, we proceeded to the temple of Kasi Visaalakshi.

Kasi Visalakshi temple is situated at a distance of about half km from the temple of Lord Visweswara. The temple is located in a small lane and it is believed that the temple stands on the spot where ear rings (some say it is the hand) of Goddess Sati fell.




KASHI VISAALAKSHI - PLEASE WITNESS THE VISALAKSHI ICON BEHIND THE MAIN ICON KNOWN AS GOWRI.
The real image and icon of Visalakshi is said to be the image located behind the icon of Gauri. The temple is very small. The idol Gauri is present in front of Visalakshi. The word Visalakshi means the one who has big eyes. Visalakshi is described as one who rules the world. Tantras descibe Visalakshi as the form of Mahakali and she will break the marma bandhas after the death and Lord Visweswara in the form of Mahakala will give moksham. At my request Shri Dayanidhi spoke to the priest in this temple and arranged for my svayam performing Khadgamala Puja to Visalakshi. I satisfactorily performed kumkuma puja to Visalakshi with Khadgamala Strotram. After performing puja I wished to do Durga Sapta Sati Parayanam in the temple premises and obtained permission from the priest as the parayanam takes about 3 hours. I sat at a place where there is no disturbance to the pilgrims and performed the parayanam of Durga Sapta Sati before Kasi Visalakshi.
Visalaksheeti Vikhyata, Varanasyam Shiva parsve,
Nirtanna pradathree cha, Nirbhagya jana toshini.
After the Parayanam of Durga Sapta Sati, we slowly returned to our place of stay via Kerala Hotel where we had our lunch. This Hotel is catering to the needs of South Indians by providing their choice of food. We took rest for the day.
5th October, 2007 - Friday.
Today we have engaged an auto and decided to visit the Fort and Museum situated on the other side of the Ganges. This area is called Ramnagar and also Vyasa Kasi. The Fort is constructed by Kasi Naresh in eighteenth century. The present symbolic head King of Kasi resides here in the Fort known as Chet Singh Palace besides the Old Fort which is converted into a Museum where the weapons of earlier kings and their articles were preserved. Even now the people of Kasi consider the King as the symbolic religious head of Kasi representing Lord Shiva. On the Shivaratri Day, Kasi Naresh is the chief officiating priest in the temple and no other person or priest is said to be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorium. It is only after he performs his religious functions that others are allowed to enter. It is not out of place to mention that the Star Hotels in Kasi are owned by this King of Kasi. Not even one Hotel/Lodge catering to the middle class tourists at reasonable rates was constructed by the King.
After visiting the old Fort and Museum, we proceeded to the house of our former Prime Minister Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. It is said that for want of a few paise Lal Bahadur Shastri used to swim the Ganges to reach the school situated on the other side. This part of the town is called Vyasa Kasi where sage Vyas resided after banished by Matha Annapurneswari, for his bad temper, from real Kasi. On the way we visited Sanskrit University and after taking lunch in the Kerala Hotel proceeded to our Lodge and took rest for the day.
6th October, 2007 - Saturday.
In the morning went to Asi Ghat to have a holy bath in the Ganges. As we were not feeling well on account of strain took rest for the day in the Lodge itself without going anywhere. In the evening proceeded to Kaal Bhairava temple situated in Visweswarganj. Kaal Bhairav is the protector of Kasi and is widely known as Police Chief of Varanasi. This part of the city is known as Kotwalpuri. Kaal Bhairav is the fearsome manifestation of Lord Shiva. The legend says that Lord Kaal Bhairava cut off the fifth head of Lord Brahma to control his ego and because of that Brahma Hatya, the biggest sin, he did penace and still the sin did not leave him. On the advice of Lord Vishnu, Kaal Bhairav entered into Kasi and the sin of Brahma Hatya left him and gone to Patala Lokam. From thence he became the Kshetra Palaka of Kasi. Each and every pilgrim who enters Kasi should go to his temple and bow before him and take his permission to stay in Kasi. It is believed that he takes all the sins of the pilgrims and makes them pure. The famous kasi thread (black thread) is available in this temple which is tied to the hand to ward off difficulties faced in life.
KAAL BHAIRAV ICON IN THE TEMPLE -- KASHI



Kaal Bhairava wears a garland of skulls and carries a club of peacock feathers. Kaal means both Death and Fate, in addition to the meaning Black. He is the black one who has also assumed the duties of the God of Death in Kashi.
7th October, 2007 - Sunday.
In the Shankarmath where we are residing we met a Bank Manager who is on transfer to this place from Hyderabad and who is the friend of Mr.V.K. invited us for lunch in his house. We went to his house and had a sumptuous lunch. In the evening we went to Kedar Ghat to witness Ganga Harati.
OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT

RAGHAVARAO U.V.G.V. DUGGIRALA,
HYDERABAD, Dt.9th DECEMBER, 2007.

---