| Vishalakshi Temple | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to the temple | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Varanasi |
| Deity | Visalakshi |
| Location | |
| Location | Mir Ghat,Varanasi |
| State | Uttar Pradesh |
| Country | India |
  Location within Uttar Pradesh | |
| Geographic coordinates | 25°18′32″N83°0′39″E / 25.30889°N 83.01083°E /25.30889; 83.01083 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mandir |
| Creator | Nagarathar |
| Completed | 1893 |
| Inscriptions | In Tamil |
TheVishalakshi Temple, also known asVishalakshi Gauri Mandir andVishalakshi Amman Kovil. It is one of the famousHindu temple atVaranasi. Dedicated to the goddess Vishalakshi (an aspect of the goddessParvati).[1] It was Built and Maintained byNattukottai Nagarathar a mercantile community fromTamil Nadu[2]
It is generally regarded as aShakti Pitha, the most sacred temples dedicated to the Hindu Divine Mother. The earrings of the goddessSati were said to have fallen on this holy spot of Varanasi. Vishalakshi Temple is known for its temple festival onKajali Tij, held on the third day during waning fortnight in the Hindu month ofBhadrapada (August).
Vishalakshi Temple is situated nearMir Ghat, Varanasi. It is situated 250 metres (0.16 mi) north west of theKashi Vishwanath Temple and 200 metres (0.12 mi) ofAnnapurna Temple.
The nameVishalakshi (Viśālākshī,Sanskrit:विशालाक्षी, "she who has large eyes")[3] is an epithet of the goddessParvati. Parvati is described asVishalakshi in the scriptureShiva Purana, when her future husbandShiva sees her for the first time.[4]
Annapurna, the goddess of food and a form of Parvati, is given the epithet Vishalakshi, the "wide-eyed". Her most famous temple stands at Varanasi, where patron goddess she is considered. TheSkanda Purana narrates the tale of the sageVyasa cursing Varanasi, as no one in the city offered him food. Finally, Vishalakshi appears in the form of a housewife and grants food to Vyasa. This role of Vishalakshi is similar to that of Annapurna, who offers food to her husband Shiva, whose hunger can be satiated by her food. Shiva gratified by Annapurna's food, establishes Varanasi and appoints her as its presiding goddess.[5] The goddess Vishalakshi of the Varanasi temple may have been identified with Annapurna in early times, however over time became a distinct goddess, resulting in the two separate goddess temples.[5]
In theKashi Khanda of theSkanda Purana, Vishalakshi accompanies Vishwanath (a form of Shiva venerated inKashi Vishwanath Temple) to grant a boon to the god Kubera.[6] Another chapter fromKashi Khanda also offers her exultation.[7]
In the sacred geography of Varanasi, six points are said to symbolizeShastanga (six-fold)yoga, which is performing by visiting the six sites. They are the Vishwanath Temple (the most important temple of Varanasi - dedicated to Shiva), the Vishalakshi Temple, the Ganges, theKala Bhairava temple (dedicated to Varanasi's guardian deity and Vishalakshi's Bhiarava), the Dhundiraj Temple (dedicated to the godGanesha - son of Shiva and Parvati) and the Dandapani temple (dedicated to an aspect of Shiva).[8]
Vishalakshi (Sanskrit: विशालाक्षी) or Varanasi figures in most standard lists of Shakti Pithas.[9]
The daughter ofPrajapatiDaksha,Sati was married to the godShiva against his wishes. Daksha organized a greatyajna, but did not invite Sati and Shiva. Uninvited, Sati reached the yajna-site, where Daksha ignored Sati and vilified Shiva. Unable to withstand this insult, Sati jumped into the sacrificial fire and committed suicide. Sati died, but her corpse did not burn. Shiva (asVirabhadra) slew Daksha for being responsible for Sati's death and forgave him, resurrecting him. The wild, grief-stricken Shiva wandered the universe with Sati's corpse. Finally, the godVishnu dismembered the body of Sati into 51 parts, each of which became a Shakti Pitha, temple to a form of the Goddess. Shiva is also worshipped at each Shakti Pitha in the form ofBhairava, the male counterpart or guardian of the presiding goddess of the Pitha. Sati's eye or earring is believed to have fallen at Varanasi, establishing Vishalakshi as a Shakti Pitha.[10]
TheTantric workRudrayamala, composed before 1052 CE, mentions 10 principal Shakti Pithas, which includes Varanasi as the fifth one. TheKularnava Tantra mentions 18 Pithas and mentions Varanasi as the sixth one. TheAshadashapitha (18 Pithas) ascribed to Shankaracharya (interpreted asAdi Shankara, however probably Shankara Agamacharya, Bengali author of theTara-rahasya-vrittika) enumerates 18 names along with their presiding deities orPitha-devis including Vishalakshi of Varanasi as the fifth Pitha. In theKubjika Tantra, Varanasi is third in 42 names. There are the two lists of Pithas in theJnanarnava, one with 8 names and the other with fifty names. The 8-name list does not mention Varanasi, but the other list names Varanasi in the second spot.[11] Vishalakshi of Varanasi is mentioned as first of 108 Shakti Pithas in the list in theDevi Bhagavata Purana. The face of Sati is described to have fallen here. This is the only instance where a body part is related to the Shakti Pitha in the text. TheDevi Gita within the same text gives a long list of Pithas, where Vishalakshi is mentioned as dwelling in Avimukta (Varanasi). No body part is related to the Pitha in this list.[12][13][14] In the non-scripture 16th century Bengali workChandimangal, Mukundaram lists nine Pithas in theDaksha-yajna-bhanga section. Varanasi is the last Pitha described to be the place where Sati's chest fell and the presiding goddess being Vishalakshi.[15] Lakshmidhara also includes Vishalakshi in his 12th-century list.[9]
ThePithanirnaya orMahapithanirupana section from theTantrachudamani originally listed 43 names, but names were added over time making it 51 Pithas. It details thePitha-devata orDevi (name of goddess at the Pitha), theKshastradishas (Bhairava, consort of the goddess) and theanga-pratyanga (limbs including ornaments of Sati). Manikarnika at Varanasi with Vishalakshi as the presiding goddess comes in at number 23. Akundala (earring) is theanga-pratyanga andKala-Bhairava (Kala) is the consort. In some later versions of the text, Varanasi is not included in the chief 51/52 Pithas. In one of the versions, it is demoted from a Pitha to an upa-Pitha (subordinate Pitha). Here, thekundala is said to beanga-pratyanga, but two Pitha-devatas and Bhairavas are mentioned. First, Vishalakshi with Kala-Bhairava and secondary Annapurna with Vishweshvara. Vishweshvara is the presiding deity ofKashi Vishwanath Temple, the most important temple in Varanasi and theAnnapurna temple is nearby.[16]
Vishalakshi, the "wide-eyed" goddess is often associated two other goddesses:Kamakshi, the "love-eyed" goddess ofKanchipuram andMinakshi, the "fish-eyed" ofMadurai, prominently because of their similar names.[17] Together the three are regarded the most important Goddess temples by Tamil People. While Vishalakshi dwells inNorth India, the other goddess temples are inTamil Nadu,South India.Tamil People venerated Vishalakshi for ages and have strong ties with the temple.
The current structure of the temple was built in 1893 byNattukottai Nagarathar, a Mercantile community fromTamil Nadu[18]
Devotees often bathe in the holy Ganges nearby before offering worship at the temple. Thepuja (worship), offerings, recitation of hymns to the goddess and charity at the temple is considered highly fruitful because of the power of the presiding goddess. The goddess is especially worshipped by unmarried girls for a groom, childless couples for progeny and unfortunate women for the turn of their fortune. Two goddess images are housed side by side in thegarbhagirha (sanctum): a smaller black stone image called Adi Vishalakshi on left back side and another taller black stone image installed at a later date. Devotees often visit the Vishwanath and Annapurna shrines with this temple.[19]
Two most important festivals in the temple, as well as all other goddess temples in Varanasi, is twoNavaratris ("nine nights"). The Ashwin Navatri or simply calledNavaratri, culminating inVijayadashami, falls in the waxing fortnight of theHindu month ofAshwin (October) and celebrates the victory of the goddessDurga on the buffalo-demonMahishasura. The other Navaratri is in the waxing fortnight ofChaitra (March). On each of nine days, one of Varanasi's goddess temples – corresponding to one of theNavadurga (nine Durgas) or nine Gauris (Parvatis) – is recommended to be visited. The nine-temple circuit is described in variousKashi mahatmyas (texts narrating the greatness of the holy city of Varanasi/Kashi).[20][19] Devotees flock to the temple in the evening of the fifth day of Navatri.[21]
The yearly temple festival of Vishalakshi Temple is celebrated onKajali Tij (Black Third), the third lunar day (tij) of the waning fortnight inBhadrapada, the last month of the Indian rainy season. Women sing "amorous" rainy season songs calledkajali (black) around this time. The holy day is observed especially for the welfare of brothers by women.[22]
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