Durga Mandir (

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

: दुर्गा मंदिर), also known as Durga Kund Mandir and Durga Temple, is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

. This temple has great religious importance in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

and is dedicated to the Maa

Durga Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around co ...

. Durga Mandir was constructed in 18th century by

Rani Bhabani Rani Bhabani ( bn, রাণী ভবাণী) (1716–1803), also known as ''Ardhabangeshwari''(অর্ধবঙ্গেশ্বরী) and ''Natorer Rani'' or the Queen of Natore, was a Hindu zamindar during the British colonial era in ...

Natore Natore district is a district of Rajshahi Division located in northern Bangladesh. It borders the metropolitan city of Rajshahi, and used to be part of Rajshahi district. History Natore was the District Headquarters of Rajshahi from 1769 to 182 ...

History

Durga Mandir was constructed in 18th century by Bengali Maharani-

. The temple is dedicated to the Goddess

. Next to the temple, is a kund (pond) which was earlier connected to the river Ganges. It is believed that the existing icon of the goddess was not made by a man but appeared on its own in the temple. In ''adhyaya'' (chapter) 23 of the ''

Devi-Bhagavata Purana The Devi Bhagavata Purana ( sa, देवी भागवतपुराणम्, '), also known as the Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavata Purana or simply ''Devi Bhagavatam'', is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas of Hindui ...

'', this temple's origin is explained. As per the text,

Kashi Naresh Maharaja Vibhuti Narayan Singh (5 November 1927 – 25 December 2000) was the king of Benares, a city considered holy, located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was the last Bhumihar king of the Kingdom of Kashi. Childhood Vibhuti Naraya ...

(king of Varanasi) called for a Swayamvar for his daughter Sashikala's marriage. The King later learnt that the princess was in love with

vanvas Vanvas ( sa, वनवास, ) is a Sanskrit term meaning residence (''vās'') in a forest (''van''). While it can be undertaken voluntarily, it usually carries a connotation of forced exile as a punishment. It commonly figures as a harsh penalty ...

i prince Sudarshan. So Kashi Naresh got his daughter secretly married to the prince. When the other Kings (who were invited for Swayamvar) got to know about the marriage, they got angry and went on war with Kashi Naresh. Sudarshan then offered prayers to Durga, who came on a lion and fought the war for Kashi Naresh and Sudarshan. After the war, Kashi Naresh pleaded to Durga to protect Varanasi and with that belief, this temple was constructed.

Construction

Durga Mandir was constructed in the 18th century (exact date of construction not known) by a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Bengali

Rani ''Rani'' in Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, sometimes spelled ''Ranee'', is a Hindu/Sanskrit feminine given name. The term is the female form of the term for princely rulers in South and Southeast Asia and applies equally to the wife of a ...

'' -

. (Bengali queen). The temple was built in

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

n Nagara style of architecture. The temple is painted red with

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...

to match the colours of the central icon of

, the goddess of strength and power. Inside the temple, many elaborately carved and engraved stones can be found. The temple is made up of many small

sikhara ''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber ...

s conjoined together. File:Varanasi India.jpg, Mandir as seen from north corner of Durgakund File:Durga Kund.JPG, Durga Kund (pond) next to the temple

Location

Durga Mandir is situated on the Sankat Mochan road, adjacent to Durga Kund, 250 meters north of

Tulsi Manas Mandir Tulsi Manas Mandir (Hindi: तुलसी मानस मंदिर) is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great historical and cultural importance in Hinduism since the ancient Hindu epic ''Ramcha ...

, 700 meters north-east of

Sankat Mochan Mandir This is a list of major Hindu temples in Nepal, alphabetically sorted by district. Bajura District * Badimalika Temple (बडिमालिका मन्दिर ) Bara District * Gadhimai Temple * Kankali Temple, Simraungadh * Kat ...

and 1.3 kilometers north of

Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU) IAST: kāśī hindū viśvavidyālaya IPA: /kaːʃiː hɪnd̪uː ʋɪʃwəʋid̪jaːləj/), is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916 ...

References

{{Portal bar, India, Hinduism, Religion Hindu temples in Varanasi Durga temples Buildings and structures completed in the 18th century 18th-century establishments in India

History

Construction

Location

See also

References