Banaras Hindu University & New Vishwanath Temple

BHU is the largest residential university in Asia. It has been developed as a center for education in Indian art, music, culture and philosophy and for the study of Sanskrit. The campus also houses the Bharat Kala Bhawan that has a fine collection of miniature paintings and sculptures that dates from 1st to 15th centuries. The 5-square kilometers campus of BHU, houses as many as 55 hostels. The campus has other attractions too such as the Birla Mandir that is popularly called VT. Close by is an airstrip and a flying club. The central library named Sayajirao Gaekwad Library is also worth a visit. Apart from various manuscripts and periodicals, it houses as many as 14 lacks or 1.4 million separate volumes. There is a 1000 bedded hospital too. It is called Sir Sunder Lal Hospital. Apart from concrete buildings, the campus features open spaces, greenery and peacocks, the national bird of India, which are found roaming around almost every part of the university.

New Vishwanath Mandir (Birla Temple) Situated in the premises of Banaras Hindu University, a modern place of worship planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the Birlas. Open to all, irrespective of caste or creed.

Aarti time : Aarti timings are 4 am - 4.45 am, 10.30 am - 11.45 am, 12 pm - 1 pm, 6.45 pm - 7.30 pm, 8 pm - 8.45 pm. On Shivratri, temple opens from 4 am to 12 pm midnight. On every Monday Rudrabhishek is performed 

   

Sankat Mochan Temple

Sankat Mochan Temple is dedicated to the Lord Hanuman. This temple is also called as the Monkey temple because of the presence of lot of monkeys inside the premises. It is one of the holy temples of the Lord Hanuman and the main location for Hindus for their many religious as well as cultural festivals. It is located in the southern part of the VARANASI, on the way to the Durga Mandir and New Vishwanath temple BHU, VARANASI, Uttar Pradesh. The meaning of the Sankat Mochan is relief from all the problems (Sankat means problem and Mochan means relief giver). Sankat Mochan Temple was constructed by the educationist and freedom fighter Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya (the founder of the BHU) in the early 1900s. The Hanuman Jayanti (birthday of the Lord Hanuman) is celebrated every year by organizing a special Shobha Yatra (a parade) from Durga temple (Durga Kund) to the Sankat Mochan Temple.

Closed 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM

 

Durga & Kaudi Mata Temple

Durga Kund Temple is one of the important Temples of VARANASI, also known as "Monkey Temple" because of the presence of large number of monkeys that reside in the nearby trees. Durga Kund Temple overlooks the kund or pond and was built in the 18th century. Thousands of Hindu devotees visit Durga Kund Temple during Navratri to worship Goddess Durga and during other auspicious occasions. A Bengali Maharani built Durga Temple in Nagara Style (North Indian style of Temple architecture). It is stained red with ochre and has a multi-tiered shikhara (spire), representing the red colour of Durga. The building has a rectangular tank for water called Durga Kund ("Kund" meaning a pond or pool.). Every year on the occasion of Nag Panchami, the act of depicting God Vishnu reclining on the serpent is recreated in the Kund. According to the Puranas, Goddess Durga has kept this place for many centuries and protects the holy city, VARANASI, from the South. This is a well maintained Temples with idols of Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kali present in the premises. Frequently, Chandi Havan is conducted in the temple. KASHI Khand mentions that devotees should offer Bali (slaying of animals). Old timers say that till several decades back Bali was being offered and there is a place earmarked for that purpose near the temple. But nowadays Bali is banned by the Government.

Temple is open from 4 am to 1pm and from 3 pm to 11 pm. Devotees worship Durga Devi during Navratri falling in September/October. Though there is a practice of worshipping one Devi each starting from day one, there is a heavy rush of devotees on all days of both Navratries.

Closed 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM

       

Tulasi Manas Temple

The ancient Indian epic Ramayana was written in Sanskrit due to which it was largely beyond the underastanding of most of the people a language in which only a learned few were versed. Goswami Tulsi Das took up the responsibility himself of translating the Ramayana into Hindi. Which in a way considerably reduced the number of people who were being deprived of such a fantastic literary work. Tulsi Das composed his Ram Charit Manas at this very spot in VARANASI or KASHI.

   

Kal Bhairav Temple

As per the sources, this temple is regarded as one of the oldest located in VARANASI, near the VishesharGanj. The Kaal Bhairav temple is situated at K-32/22 Bharonath of Vishweshwarganj in VARANASI. God Kaal Bhairav is believed to be the “Kotwal of Sati pind” and without his permission no individual can even be fortunate enough to touch the Sati pind. Bhairava means terrible or frightful. In Hindu culture, Kala Bhairava is a deity that depicts a fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva, which is associated with annihilation. Kaal Bhairava is one of the most vital deities in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Nepal. It originated in the Hindu mythology and as per the Hindu perceptions of worship of the Divine; it is sacred to Buddhists, Jains and Hindus, alike.

Closed 12:00 noon to 3:00 PM