Also known as Benares, the City of the Dead, Varanasi is a sacred place for Hindus, and also home to beautiful monuments dedicated to the gods. The walk along the river Ganges is an itinerary you can not stop living in this city and the tour of the three sacred monuments of which I discuss below. Take good note for when you undertake any of your travel due to the mystical city of Varanasi:
- The Vishwanath Temple or Golden Temple, the holiest of Varanasi is dedicated to Shiva, Lord of the universe. Unfortunately, the original building was destroyed by Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor, and that continues today was rebuilt in 1776 by Rani Ahilyabai of Indore.
The gold-plated towers are the cause of the nickname that is known to this temple, and have no less than 800 kilos of gold coating. That if the entrance to the monument is prohibited for non-Hindus.
The Durga temple is another example of the religious architecture of Varanasi. Eighteenth century and was built under the orders of Bengali Maharani. Red and ocher, these building exhibits its characteristic dome completed in needles, placed one upon another to form the typical appearance known as shikhara.
What is Durga? ... Durga is the mother goddess who keeps the fertility of the earth in Hindu mythology. It is one of the ways that I could conceive of Parvati, the consort of Shiva due to the large number of monkeys that inhabit this temple, also known as the Temple of the Monkeys.
- The Bharat Mata Temple is another interesting sacred site of the city and is located on the banks of river Ganges. Dedicated to the mother country, was inaugurated in 1936 by Mahatma Gandhi. Inside, a marble statue representing India, symbolized in the mountains, plains and oceans that make up its territory a wonderful space for both the senses and the spirit.