Kashi Yatra- Tales of the ancient temples!

Durga Temple and Durga Kund of Varanasi

Tales of ancient temples in Kashi! That means- this post is a long read! Hope it keeps you interested!

Visit to Kashi is much more than collecting pictures of skinny bearded old men bathing in river Ganga, or ash clad Naga sadhus or the prevailing dirt. It is much more, at least for Hindus. And that is the reason I always mention I was visiting Kashi- to behold the image of divine, not Varanasi for sightseeing. People talk about disordered, crowded, unhygienic jungle of temples called Varanasi. But, for Hindus who's vision is beyond the lanes and ghats of the city, Kashi is an ordered and structured universe with Vishwanatha temple as the center. Every temple here occupies the right place in that sacred geography. Well, that structure is a bit twisted by the destruction during muslim rule but sanctity prevails.

Yatra- Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Mandhata

Omkareshwar is an island of shape Om, a Hindu religious symbol, formed by meeting of two rivers Narmada and Kaveri. It is known for a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva- Omkareshwara. The temple is one of the twelve revered Jyotirlinga shrines in India. 

Seven Sacred Cities of India- Ujjain

Kashi, Kanchi, Maya, Ayodhya, Avantika
Mathura, Dwaravati chaiva saptaita mokshadayika

My Mother always talks about Seven Sacred Cities and four sacred teerthas (sacred places) of Hindu religion. So, I decided to visit those cities and places during my travel. These seven cities are Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Haridwar, Ayodhya, Ujjain, Mathura and Dwaraka. My travel to Madhya Pradesh presented me with an opportunity to visit Ujjain. I was thrilled.