Kirittivasheshvara Temple

The ancient temple of Krittivasheshvara, as so vividly eulogised in the puranic literature, especially the Kashi Khanda, KKh (24,81, 68.29, 34-5, 38-45, 84-5, etc), was one of the most elegant temples of the 11th century. This was destroyed in 1669 by the order of bigoted Mughal king Aurangazeb and superimposed by a mosque; however, the main lingam was kept in the courtyard and was part of casual visitation by the devout Hindus, and they are allowed to perform abbreviated form of ritual only on the marriage day of Shiva, Maha Shivaratri (the 14th of the dark fortnight of Phalguna, February-March). In passage of time in the early 19th century, a temple consisting of replica of the original lingam was built in the same neighbourhood of Daranagar (towards Vriddhakala, house no. K 46/23). The Kurma Purana (Varanasi Mahatmya, 1.29-34), mentions this lingam as one among the three most important Shiva’s forms, together with Omkareshvara and Madhyameshvara.

According to a description in the KKh (33.167‑172), the city of Varanasi is Shiva’s body, whose different parts are represented by the selective 18 lingams (see Fig. 6.6). The number 18 symbolises the 18 branches of knowledge, including four Vedas, six parts of the Vedic divisions (Vedangas), and the rest of the branches. In this way, the city itself is the symbol of total knowledge. The visitation and performance of rituals at these sites provide the total knowledge. However, even by visiting a single lingam of Puraneshvara (Krittivasheshvara), one can receive the similar merit (cf. Kashi Khanda 33.132), as this lingam symbolises all the 18 lingams at another level, and thus this lingam represents total knowledge (see Fig. 6.6).

All the representative Shiva lingams attached to Krittivasheshvara, are part of the pilgrimage of the same name, but it is only occasionally performed. Thanks to a religious community organization, Kashi Tirtha Pradakshina Darshan Yatra Samiti, which took initiative under the patronage and guidance of (late) Dandi Svami Shivananda, to get it revived. In all the Hindu months on every 14th day of the dark fortnight (waning), a huge mass of devotees pay visit to this temple as this day is specially considered more merit giver.