Shri Vishwanath Mandir also known as Vishwanath Mandir, Vishwanath Temple, New Vishwanath Temple and Birla Temple is one of the most famous

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 ...

temples and biggest tourist attractions 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 ...

. The temple is situated in

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 ...

and is dedicated to the

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

. Shri Vishwanath Mandir has the tallest temple tower in the world with the Shikhara's height being around 250 feet. The temple is colloquially called VT, an acronym of Vishwanath Temple.

History

Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, was destroyed (and reconstructed) several times; in 1194 by

Qutb-ud-din Aibak Qutb ud-Din Aibak ( fa, قطب‌الدین ایبک), (1150 – 14 November 1210) was a Turkic general of the Ghurid king Muhammad Ghori. He was in charge of the Ghurid territories in northern India, and after Muhammad Ghori's assassination i ...

, between 1447-1458 by

Hussain Shah Sharqi The Jaunpur Sultanate ( fa, ) was an independent Islamic state in northern India between 1394 and 1479, ruled by the Sharqi dynasty. It was founded in 1394 by Khwajah-i-Jahan Malik Sarwar, a former wazir of Sultan Nasiruddin Muhammad Shah IV ...

and then in 1669 CE by Aurangzeb. In 1930s,

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Madan Mohan Malaviya ( (25 December 1861 — 12 November 1946) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and politician notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress four times and ...

planned to replicate Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in the campus of Benaras Hindu University. The Birla family undertook the construction and foundation was laid in March 1931. The temple (Shri Vishwanath Mandir) was finally completed in 1966.

Construction

Shri Vishwanath Mandir's construction took thirty-five years to complete (1931-1966). The temple is one of the tallest in India. Total height of the temple is approximately 77 meters. Temple's design was inspired by Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and is made mostly of

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

. Though the Shri Vishwanath Mandir is primarily dedicated to Shiva, consists of nine shrines within one temple and is open to people from all castes, religions and religious beliefs. The Shiva shrine is in the ground floor and the

Lakshmi Narayan Lakshmi Narayana or Lakshmi-Narayan ( sa, लक्ष्मी-नारायण, IAST: ) is the dual representation of the Hindu deities Vishnu, also known as Narayana, and his consort, Lakshmi, traditionally featured in their abode, Vaikunth ...

and

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 c ...

shrines are on the first floor. Other shrines within Shri Vishwanath Mandir are

Nataraj Nataraja () also known as Adalvallaan () is a depiction of the Hindu god Shiva as the divine cosmic dancer. His dance is called Tandava.''Encyclopædia Britannica'' (2015) The pose and artwork are described in many Hindu texts such as the ' ...

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...

, Panchmukhi Mahadev,

Hanuman Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...

and Nandi. Entire text of Bhagavad Gita and extracts from sacred Hindu scriptures are inscribed with illustrations on the inner marble walls of the temple.

Location

Shri Vishwanath Mandir is situated 1.7 kilometers inside the campus of Benaras Hindu University (South-West from the main gate). It is 3.3 kilometers South-West of Durga Mandir, 7 kilometers South-West of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and 9 kilometers South of

Varanasi Railway Station Varanasi Junction railway station (station code: BSB), also known as Varanasi Cantt railway station, is the main railway station serving the city of Varanasi. The other key railway stations in Varanasi Metro area are (formerly Manduadih), , P ...

Gallery

File:Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, BHU 01.JPG, As seen from main entrance (East) of the temple. File:New Vishwanath Temple at BHU 2007.jpg, The main entrance (East wall) of the temple. File:Nandi (bull).JPG, Statue of Nandi in North side of temple. File:Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, BHU 05.JPG, Place in temple compound to do havan. File:Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, BHU 03.JPG, North side of the temple. File:Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, BHU 04.JPG, Temple's

Shikhara ''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'' chambe ...

References

{{Portal bar, India, Hinduism, Religion Hindu temples in Varanasi Shiva temples in Varanasi 20th-century Hindu temples Religious buildings and structures completed in 1966

History

Construction

Location

Gallery

See also

References