Maa Visalakshi Temple

Varanasi is famous for  its ghats and temples and in those temples There are few major temple like Baba Vishwanath temple, Kaal bhairav temple, Varahi temple where people come from all over India to take blessings of their deities The Vishalakshi Temple or Vishalakshi Gauri Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Vishalakshi (an aspect of the goddess Parvati/Sati). It situated at Mir Ghat on the banks of the Ganges at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

​

The temple's lore:

The daughter of Prajapati Daksha, Sati was married to the god Shiva against his wishes. Daksha organized a great yajna 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 (as Virabhadra) 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 god Vishnu 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 of Bhairava, the male counterpart or guardian of the presiding goddess of the Pitha. The body part of the goddess Sati which were fallen generally regarded as a Shakti Pitha, the most sacred temples dedicated to the Hindu Divine Mother. There are 4 incarnations of Adi Para shakti is worshipped Goddess Vishalakshi in North, Goddess Renukakshi in West, Goddess Meenakshi in South and Goddess Bahulakshi in East. Annapurna, the goddess of food and form of Shiva's consort Parvati, is given the epithet Vishalakshi, the "wide-eyed". There is a story in Skanda Purana about the sage cursing Varanasi, as no one in the city offered him food. At that time, Maa 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. Vishalakshi Temple is known for its temple festival on Kajali Tij, held on the third day during waning fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August). In Ancient Books of Varanasi, six points have been called as Shashtanga 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 the Kal Bhairava temple (dedicated to Varanasi's guardian deity and Vishalakshi's Bhiarava) The Dhundiraj Temple (dedicated to the god Ganesh) The Dandapani temple (dedicated to an aspect of Shiva). The 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. Unmarried girls for a groom, childless couples for progeny and unfortunate women for the fortune worship Maa Vishalakshi and Mother Vishalakshi never disappoints them.