The Vishwanath Temple in Benares: Review of Vishwanath Rises and Rises by Meenakshi Jain

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Vishwanath Rises and Rises: The Story of Eternal Kashi

Meenakshi Jain

New Delhi: Aryan Books 2024

After the restoration and consecration of the Bhavya Rama Temple at Ayodhya on January 22, 2024 a new set of historical issues have arisen: the Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi and the Krishna Janmastan at Mathura. Both were destroyed by the Mughal king Aurangazeb in 1669 and there are historical documents  that establish the destruction on the explicit orders of the king. 

Historians like Dr Meenakshi Jain who have worked extensively on the Rama Temple at Ayodhya and were instrumental in exposing the hollowness of the claims of the critics have now turned their attention to Benares. This book and Vikram Sampath's volume are the most comprehensive dealing with the historical and legal aspects of the issue. The latter is significant in that the Places of Worship Act of 1991 is seen as a statutory impediment to the demand for restitution and restoration of places of worship associated with the indigenous faith

of India. The map drawn by James Prinsep makes it clear that the floor plan of the Gyan Vyapi Mosque followed closely that of the temple and the three domes visible in the picture were placed directly above the sacred garba griha of the destroyed temple. As per the religious character of the site Courts will have no real issue ruling in favour of the indigenous faith of India. 

The book is a comprehensive history of Varanasi and its sacred heritage as reflected in archaeology and judicial and administrative documents. As early as 1809 itself there were systematic attempts to reclaim the site where the Lat Bhairava Temple stood which had been turned into a Mosque. In the struggle that followed sev eral people were killed and order restored. As in Ayodhya the indigenous people were allowed to worship at the site which will prove significant in determing the religious character of the site.

The sacred geography of Benares was shaped by the Skanda Puran a text put together during the 11th or 12 th century when the Ghadavalas were the ruling power. The Ghadavalas shifted their capital from Kanauj in order to be in a position to protect Benares which was being attacked by the Turks from the end of the 12th century. One consequence of the repeated destruction wrought upon Benares by the turushka is seen in the fact that places associated with the practice of the Pasupata Cult came to be inscribed on the larger canvass of Saivism. Apart from Aibak and Razia there were several instances of attacks on Benares. And after each cycle destruction effort was made to reconsecrate the destroyed temple by Rajputs, Mahrattas, and Sikhs. Ahilya Holkar restored the temple of Vishwanath destroyed by Aurangzeb at a site as close to the destroyed temple as possible and this temple still stands. The 12th century text Varanasi mahatmya provides information on the complex religious character of Varanasi that prevailed at the eve of the Turkish depredations over northern India.

The Vishwanath temple is credited to be the site of the Jotirling  of Siva and is said to be one of 12 sites so designated distributed from Kedarnath in the north to Somnath or Veraval in Gujarat and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. The Skanda Puran does not refer to the concept of Jyotirling and none of the Pasupata religious texts that survive contain any discussion on this important aspect of Saiva theology. Is it possible that this concept was fashioned to protect the virtual sanctity of Saiva temples that had been desecrated by the muslim invaders. The physical structure may have been destroyed by the divine image remains transcendental.

This book is full of interesting facts and contains a wealth of information that both historians and lay readers will find useful.