Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi
Mosque:
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple has earned the
name of Golden Temple due to the gold plating done using
one ton of gold donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh on
its 15.5-m high spire. Invaders destroyed the original
temple and Rani Ahilyabai of Indore rebuilt it only
in in 1776. Again, the fanatic Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
destroyed the Vishvanath temple to replace it with the
Gaynvapi Mosque. However, one can still see the remnants
of the temple in the intricate and fine artwork of the
western wall of the mosque. Today, the Kashi Vishwanath
Temple and the Gyanvapi mosque lie adjacent to each
other.
St. Mary's Church:
Situated in the cantonment area of Varanasi, the architectural
peculiarity that distinguishes St. Mary's Church from
others are its louvered doors and hooded ventilation.
It has a low tower, spire and projecting portico. The
church looks beautiful with its plain timber canopy
protecting the rectangular fanlight above each doorway
and also impresses a major architectural impact.
Durga Temple:
The 8th century Durga temple is built in Nagara Style
and is one of the most important temples of the city.
The 'shikhara' of the temple consists of several small
spires layered one on top of the other.
Bharat Mata Temple:
Dedicated to Mother India, it is situated in Mahatma
Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth. It was built by Babu Shiv Prasad
Gupt and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. The
statue marble of Mother India shows undivided India
with mountains, plains and oceans in exact proportions.
Tulsi Manas Temple, Varanasi
Tulsi Manas Temple:
Dedicated to Lord Rama, this temple is said to be built
on the site where Goswami Tulsidas wrote the epic 'Ramacharitramanas'.
It was built in 1964 by a philanthropist family.
Nepali Temple:
Built in Nepali style by the King of Nepal on Lalita
Ghat, it is also known as the Kathwala temple because
of the magnificent woodwork. Tourist attraction for
visitors from all over the world, it is said to be incomparable
to any other temple in India. It is said that the workers
and the wood was imported from Nepal to build this temple
and the its specialty is that termites do not eat the
wood used to construct it.
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