This is a very ancient temple in Varanasi, and it is very surreal as most of the deities are carved out of jet-black stone. It gives the temple a dark feel and an aura of the occult. This is a Shiva temple, and there is a huge lingam that devotees pray to. There is a brass bell that is rung during the Maha Aarti. During the Aarti, there is an orchestra of dancers and musicians who play the drums and cymbals to enhance the ceremony. The temple bells ring in the air, and the sound of the Maha Aarti can be very healing.
There are scores of Shiva lingas all around the temple, and devotees can be seen lighting diyas and praying to the good lord. Again, the walls of the temple have white marble tablets where mantras, hymns, and verses are inscribed, mostly in Sanskrit and sometimes in Hindi. Devotees offer khichdi, bel patra, Ganga jal, and milk to Lord Shiva, and the lord then blesses them with good fortune and luck.
Sri Gauri Kedareshwar Mandir: Varanasi
The Kedareshwar Mandir is very closely linked to the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand, which is also a Jyotirlinga. The ruler Aurangzeb attacked the temple, but still, the lingam remains. There are knife marks on the stone Nandi that bear testimony to this attack by the Mughal ruler. If one visits this temple, it feels like trekking right up to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. This temple is part of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, and it is a river temple as it is on a hilltop overseeing the ghats of the Ganges river. One can walk right up to get a view of the ghats. The central lingam is a shapeless stone, and it is said that Vishnu and Lakshmi are in one half of the lingam, and Shiva and Parvati are in the other half.
It is said that this temple resides on the third prong of Shiva’s trident. In the middle of the central courtyard are four temples with domes. Pilgrims take a holy bath in the river Ganga and then climb a flight of stairs right up to the temple to pray to Lord Shiva.
The legend has it that during an arduous journey, Gauri felt hungry, so Kedar went looking for food but was killed by a tiger. Hearing this, in dismay, Gauri jumped into a pond. At that very place where she jumped, King Utkal built a temple, which was called Gauri Kedareshwar Mandir.
An Aarti takes place every day at 6:30 pm, so devotees and travelers must try and catch the Aarti as it is very invigorating.
