OLD COUPLES KASHI YATRA VIA KHAJURAHO (7)

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OLD COUPLES KASHI YATRA VIA KHAJURAHO (7)

8th October, 2007 - Monday.

Today we decided to visit Saranath which is at about a distance of 10 km from our place Shankarmath. For the first time, we have decided to go to this place in our Car as upto this time we roamed in Varanasi in Autos and Cycle Rikshaws only. Morning at 8-30 we started from Sankar Math and proceeded to Saranath and we first straight went to Rahi Guest House Restaurant for having breakfast.

After we came out of the Restaurant, one person approached us and stated that he is one of the persons serving in a Buddhist Temple and it is his habit to show the places of interest in Sarnath and explain their significance to the tourists and for this he will not charge any fee and only doing it as a service to tourists. He requested us to allow him to accompany us and show the places of interest. Is it looking strange? But, it is true. So, we under his guidance visited all the places of interest in Saranath.

ABOUT SARANATH

Saranath is the place where Buddha chose to deliver his first sermon after attaining ‘GNANA SIDDHI’ at Bodh Gaya. He first delivered the celebrated famous Mantram ‘Buddham Saranam Gachhami’, at this place. It is also said that on a day just before his death, he included this place as one of the four places he commanded as sacred to his followers - viz., Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Kushinagar and Saranath. We have visited three of these places in this tour viz., Bodh Gaya, Kushinagar and Saranath. There are many monuments and edifices built at this place by his followers, most of them in a dilapidated condition or gone into oblivion because of erosion/destruction. Many a countries following Buddhisim such as Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tibet, etc., built temples of Lord Buddha here which are only the tourist attraction places in Saranath. We also find that most of the pilgrims we have seen in Saranath are from Sri Lanka. The old monuments remaining as on day are Dhameka Sthupa, Chaukhandi Stupa and othe ruined places. The famous Ashoka Pillar with four Lions on the top was built here; but unfortunately, the same was ruined and is not there at present. This Ashoka Pillar with four Lions was adopted as National Emblem of India. The Mahabodhi Temple constructed by the Society has a tooth relic of Buddha which is very sacred to the Buddhists. After showing all these places, the guide took us to a show room where sarees, etc., are sold.


After visiting the show room, we proceeded to visit the Old Shiva Temple situated in Saranath. This temple is situated on a small mound and is known as Sarangnath Temple (said to be brother-in-law of Lord Shiva). The temple said to have been constructed and is connected to the visit of Lord Shiva to this holy place. Sarangmuni was brother of Parvati who came here to see his sister where Lord Viswanath lived for a short while. Sri Sarangmuni fell in love with Kashi and decided to stay here.


This spot is believed to be the exact place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon to his five disciples. This monument is considered to be the important structure and sacred among the structures at Saranath which was built by the King Ashoka the Great.

CHAUKHANDI STUPA

It has been constructed in 5 AD by Gupta Kings. On this point Buddha appears to have met his first five disciples.

After visiting the above places, we returned to our place of stay in Kashi. As we have completed a stay of 11 days we decided to leave Kasi on the morning of 9th the Tuesday. I have fulfilled my cherished desire of visiting Kashi and staying there for a period of 11 days. I found that the belief that no one goes hungry in Kashi is correct. Matha Annapurneswari takes care of every person living in Kasi is free from hunger.

Why Vyasa was banished from Kasi?

In this connection there is a legend story of Matha Annapurneswari making the people living in Kasi hunger-free. Once Veda Vyasa came to Kashi along with his Sishyas to worship Lord Viswanath. Matha Annapurneswari decided to test the devotion of Vyasa. She made it that no alms were available in Varanai to Vyasa and his Sishyas. Enraged by this attitude of citizens of Varanasi, the Sage put a curse on the city and decided to leave the city. Soon after, at a house where Matha Annapurneswari and Lord Viswanath had taken human form as householders and gave sumptuous alms to Vyasa and his Sishyas which they received forgetting the curse. Maharshis and Sages shoud have their anger in control in all circumstances. However, because of the bad temper of Vyasa in not being able to control his anger and cursing the Holy City of Varanasi, Lord Viswanath banished Vyasa from Varanasi. The Sage repented but there was no use. Then Vyasa resolved to be nearer to Viswanath took his residence on the other side of the Ganges.

It is therefore necessary for every pilgrim visiting Kasi that they should never get angry on the city of Kashi if they come across any inconvenience while living there. It should be taken as a test by the Lord and the Matha. Holy City Varnasi is also a pilgrimage place to Jains along with Hindus and Buddhists. It is believed to the birth place of Parshvanath, the twenty third Tirthankar.

9th October, 2007 - Tuesday.

After profusely thanking Shri Annapurna Prasad, the incharge of Shankarmath, for providing a comfortable stay in Varanasi, we started at 6-30 a.m. to proceed to Naimisaranyam. Shri Annapurna Prasad’s brother owns a silk saree shop in Varanasi. On our request he brought some Benaras Silk Sarees to Shanakarmath and we purchased some sarees from him. Here we have to say that Shri Annapura Prasad was very helpful for us and invited for lunch four to five times in the Shankarmath. He specially invited us for lunch on the annual ceremony day of the previous Shankaracharya when more than 50 Sannyasis of various maths in Kasi participated. He also provided guidance in Varanasi in visiting temples and peforming pujas, etc. We left a small donation to Shankarmath for providing a comfortable stay in Varanasi.

Travelling through Jaunpur, Musafirkhana, Jagadishpur, Haidargarh, Lucknow, Sidhauli and Mishrikh, we reached Naimisaranyam by 5-30 pm (Lucknow - Sitapur Road). The distance between Varanasi and Naimisaranyam is 404 km. First we thought of roaming in the streets of Lucknow as we have no intention to stay there. But as we entered Lucknow City some procession of BSP is taking place and we decided not to enter the City in view of this political procession. We directly proceeded towards Naimisaranyam. One has to take a diversion at Siddhauli town to go to Naimisaranyam which is also known as Nimisar. In Siddhauli town we enquired a passer by as to whether good accommodation would be available in Naimisaranyam. He promptly replied “Sir, you came all the way to visit a holy place where more than 60000 sages resided earlier and you require star accommodation facilities in a forest? However, reasonably good accommodation is available there.” On the way we have seen the place Misrikh where there is a Dadhichi Kund. Dadhichi is the Sage who donated his back bone to Indra for making Vajrayudham. The distance from Lucknow to Nimisar is about 95 kms. We took rooms in Rahi Tourist Guest House and stayed there. The Guest House is situated in a very big area but is full of caterpillars. There is power cut in this part of the country and electricity is available only for a few hours. In fact in Varanasi also there is power cut and electricity was not available for major part of the day which made our stay a little uneasy.

Next day morning when we started in our Car to visit the places of interest, a priest guide approached us and said that he will show all the important places in Nimisar. We negotiated at a fees of Rs.100 and took him in our car.

ABOUT NAIMISARANYAM

Naimisaranyam finds a place in Vayu Purana and Brahmanda Puranam. The legend says that in Kritayugam, the Sages wished to perform a Holy Yajnam and requested Lord Brahma to show them an appropriate location. Lord Brahma created a big wheel which he named it as Manomaya Chakra and requested the Sages to follow the Wheel and stated that where the wheel falls that is the holiest place for them to perform yajnam. The wheel after travelling a long distance fell in a Forest which was named as NAIMISARANYAM. NAIMI means circumference of a wheel and hence the forest came to be known as NAIMISARANYAM. Where the wheel fell a huge pond was created with fountain of water gushing from the pond. When the water is flooding the forest mother Goddess appeared and stopped the flow of water. Another legend says that Vishnu killed demons in a second (nimish) and hence the area was known as Naimisaranyam or Nimisar.

CHAKRATIRTHAM

It is the experience of many a people that whoever meditate hard enough in this place, one gets rid of worldly desires and will attain some amount of divine power. The pilgrims bathe in the Chakrakund Tirth and perform pindapradanam to pitrudevatas. Near the pond there is the Shakti Peetham of Lalita Devi and people believe that worshipping Lalita Devi here on a full moon day will wash away all the sins committed in a life time. The priest-guide accompanying us recited Sankalpam and we had a holy bath in the Chakra Tirtham. From there we proceeded to the temple of Lalitha Devi and after worshipping the Goddess proceeded to the banks of Gomati River where there is a huge Banyan Tree, Vyas Gaddi from which Gaddi Sage Veda Vyas appears to have taught Vedas and Puranas to his Sishyas and general public. It is said that Mahabharatam and Bhagavatam were recited at this place. There is also a Hanuman Temple. This is the place said to be where Manu performed penance. From there we proceeded to a temple complex near Railway Station. In this temple complex many a Sadhus reside and spent time in meditation.

OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT OM TAT SAT

RAGHAVARAO, U.V.G.V. DUGGIRALA,
HYDERABAD, Dt.17th DECEMBER, 2009.

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