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Varanasi
is the city of a thousand temples. The main object of all devotees
is the Kasi Vishwanath Temple built for the presiding
deity of Varanasi. The temple was destroyed in 1669 by the Emperor
Aurangzeb who built the Gyanvapi
Mosque
on its site, but the ancient linga was removed and hidden in a well
by a priest. The present temple, constructed in 1776 by Rani Ahalya
Bai, is also popularly known as the Golden Temple for its gold
shikara. Close to this shrine is a temple to Sanichar
(Saturn)
where offerings are made to appease the deity in times of trouble,
and the Annapurna
Temple
dedicated to the goddess of anna or grain. The Dhundiraj
Ganesh is another important temple on Vishwanath Lane.
The
Sakshi Vinayaka
Temple is where devotees go on
completion of the Panchakosi circuit, a circumambulation of the
city, to pay their homage to Lord Ganesh. There are about 56
Vinayaka temples in all, dedicated to the Lord Ganapati. Among them
are the Siddha Vinayaka
at the Manikarnika Ghat, the
Kark
Vinayaka Temple, the Durga Vinayaka near the Durga Temple and
Abhayapad
Vinayaka located near the Dasaswamedh
Ghat.
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