Vishwanath Temple, Banaras Hindu University

Shri Vishwanath temple also known as Vishwanath Mandir (VT), New Vishwanath Temple or Birla Temple is one of the most famous, important and major attraction of tourists in the holy city of Varanasi. The temple is situated in the campus of one of the most renowned universities i.e. Banaras Hindu University. The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. The height of the Vishwanath Temple’s tower is of 250 feet approximately which makes it the tallest temple tower in the world.

HISTORY BEHIND THE TEMPLE

The temple was destroyed many times by Mughal ruler Qutub-ud -din-Aibak, between 1447-1458 by Hussain Shah Sharqi and then in 1669 CE by Aurangzeb. After the establishment of Banaras Hindu University in 1916, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya planned to replicate the temple in the campus of Banaras Hindu University in 1930. Birla Family undertook the construction and foundation of the temple and finally in 1931, on Wednesday i.e. Chaitra Krishna Ashtami, the foundation of the temple was laid. The temple was finally completed in 1966.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE

The construction of the temple took thirty-five years to get finally constructed. The design of the temple is inspired by Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and is made mostly of marble. There are 9 temples within Vishwanath temple and is open to people from every castes, religion, beliefs and customs. The temple of Lord Shiva is in the ground floor whereas the temple of Durga and Lakshmi Narayan is on the first floor. Temples of Lord Ganesha, Mata Parvati, Hanuman, Sarasvati, Nandi, Nataraja and Panchmukhi Mahadev is also there inside the Vishwanath Temple. The texts and extracts of Bhagwat Gita and other Hindu scriptures are inscribed in the walls of the temple.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE

The temple is situated 1.7 kilometres inside the campus of Banaras Hindu University i.e. south-west from the main gate and 3.3 kilometres South-west of Druga Mandir, 7 kilometres South-west from Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir and 9.9 kilometres south from the railway station.

TIMING OF VARIOUS RITUALS IN THE TEMPLE

	Opening  Time	Closing Time
Phase I	4:00 AM	12:00 PM
Phase II	1:00 PM	9:00 PM

 

Rituals	Timing
Bathing and Make-up	4:00 AM
Mangala Aarti	4:45 AM
Indulgence	10:30 AM
Shayna Aarti	11;45 AM
Sleep	12:00 Noon
Jagran Aarti	1:00 PM
Bathing and Make-up	7:30 PM
Special Aarti	7:45 PM
Shayna Aarti	8:45 PM
Door Closed	9:00 PM
Special Abhishek	7:00 AM (Every Monday)
Special Aarti with Special Bhog	8:00 AM (Every Monday)

SCHEMES RUN BY THE VISHWANATH TEMPLE

• ANNADAN YOJNA – Under this scheme, the students of the university who are meritorious and poor are provided free lunch and dinner.
• 60,000 is paid to the Bhagwat Gita Samiti by the temple
• 60,000 is paid to the Malviya Valuable centre in respect of Indian prices.

OTHER FACILITIES PROVIDED

For the sake of convenience of the visitors, the Prasad Sale board and the books sale board was established. The books published by the temple and the university are also provided for the sale. Also, there is a shoe stand provided for the safety of slippers and shoes. Moreover, the office of the administrative board is established to manage the administrative issues of the temple.

WHAT MAKES IT A PERFECT TOURIST SPOT?

With a beautiful construction of temples, it also has a beautiful lush green garden having unique architecture. It is the perfect tourist attraction as they can admire the nature here and click some beautiful and amazing pictures of the natural beauty and unique Indian architecture. Moreover, outside the temple, there are various food stalls which are among the best in the city and at very reasonable rates. One must try the cold coffee of this place as it is one of the famous cold coffee of the whole city. This place has a unique significance. The environment here is so peaceful and calm that nobody wants to leave the place even after staying there for hours.

I just hope that you found this article helpful and if you are planning to visit Varanasi then you are definitely going to visit the temple. If you have already visited then please share your own experience with us in the comment section.

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