Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Kashi Vishwanath Temple History: Varanasi is known as Kashi. Kashi is considered the city of Lord Shiva. It is believed that the city of Kashi rests on the trident of Lord Shiva. Here the God of Gods Mahadev is present in the form of Baba Vishwanath. This is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is said that here Lord Shiva himself provides salvation to the deceased souls.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is famous in the country and the world. A large number of devotees come here for darshan. The temple of Baba Vishwanath is said to be centuries old. This temple was demolished by the cruel Mughal ruler Aurangzeb on 18 April 1669. After this this temple was rebuilt once again. Let us know the complete story of the reconstruction of Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The temple was demolished after Aurangzeb’s order
Historians say that following the orders of Aurangzeb, the Mughal army had demolished the temple of Baba Vishwanath in 1669. The Mahant of the temple had jumped into the Gyanvapi Kund with the Shivalinga, so that the self-proclaimed Jyotirlinga does not get harmed. The Mughal army also tried to break the huge Nandi statue installed outside the temple, but despite all efforts, they failed to break the Nandi statue.
Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar got the reconstruction done.
In the year 1777, Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar of the Holkar royal family of Indore decided to reconstruct the temple of Baba Vishwanath. He got the temple rebuilt in the next three years. Between the years 1777-80, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar resumed her efforts to build the temple and she was also successful in it.
The consecration of the idol took place as per the scriptures.
Rani Ahilyabai got the sanctum sanctorum of Baba Vishwanath’s temple rebuilt and also got the idol consecrated in the scriptures. Worship was done for the consecration of life by 11 classical Acharyas. Queen Ahilyabai had resolved to rebuild the temple on the day of Shivratri and the temple was opened on Shivratri itself.
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