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When one thinks of spirituality, devotion, and ancient culture, the names Banaras and Kashi immediately come to mind. It is a place where religion is a part of everyday life and where rituals and ceremonies are a big part of the way people live. The spiritual energy that flows through the streets of Banaras is strong and stays with everyone who goes there. But are Banaras and Kashi really the same place, or do they mean different cities? Let’s find out the connection between Banaras and Kashi.

Kashi or Banaras?

Even though both names Kashi and Banaras have different meanings, they are both names for the same holy city. People often use both of these names interchangeably to refer to the same city, which millions of Hindus around the world come to explore. Kashi was the ancient name of this city which is often mentioned in several books. The name Kashi was changed to Varanasi because it is between the Varuna River in the north and the Assi River in the south. In Pali, the name Varanasi was written as Baranasi, which led to the name Banaras. Banaras is a name that both locals and tourists use a lot. It gives the city a more clear and straightforward name.

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Nag Nathaiya 2016 would be celebrated by the people in India on 3rd of November, at Thursday.

Nag Nathaiya 2015
Nag Nathaiya 2015 was celebrated by the people in India on 15th of November, at Sunday.

Nag Nathaiya 2014
Nag Nathaiya 2014 was celebrated by the people on 27th of October, at Monday.

History of the Nag Nathaiya

Nag Nathaiya festival was first started in the 16^th century by the great saint named, Tulsi Das at the Tulsi Ghat in the Benaras. Once upon a time, Lord Krishna and his friends were playing at the bank of the River and suddenly they had lost their ball in the nearest river. Everybody was asking about the ball and they had decided that may be the ball has gone into the river. Lord Krishna had jumped down into the river in order to search for the ball. In the river he was tackled by the toxic snake King Cobra, known as the Kaliya. Those days, villagers were really much afraid by the Kaliya from a long time. The conflict went for long between the Kaliya Nag and the Lord Krishna.

Finally Kaliya realized the power of Krishna and then he accepted his defeat and bent in front of the Lord Krishna. Kaliya promised that he will never harm the villagers. Then Kaliya picked up the Lord Krishna on his head and brought him outside the water. His friends were very pleased after seeing the Krishna outside the water and getting their ball. In this way Lord Krishna had saved the life of villagers from Kaliya as well as poisonous water. The whole event is known as the Nag Nathaiya.

Significance of the Nag Nathaiya

Nag Nathaiya is the most important festival which is yearly celebrated in the Varanasi to remember the Krishna Leela. Nag Nathaiya is the most significant part of life of the Lord Krishna. Nag Nathaiya festival is held at the Tulsi Ghat annually in the Benares. It is considered that the Lord Krishna was jump into the river Ganga for Kalia Nag Nathan in order to prevent people from his cruelty. Nag Nathaiya Leela is celebrated with the great joy and happiness by the people of Varanasi at the Tulsi Ghat between the month of November and December. This festival attracts a huge crowd at the ghat to see the Krishna Leela in Varanasi.

Celebration of the Nag Nathaiya in Varanasi

This festival is commemorated very eagerly in the Varanasi at the Tulsi ghat for celebrating the victory of the Lord Krishna. A very young boy plays the role of Lord Krishna, he take a jump into the river from the branch of the Kadamba tree at the bank of river Ganga to defeat the Kaliya. He comes outside the water at the head of Kaliya by having a flute in his hand and pose just like Krishna. A large crowd of the people collect at the ghat waiting for the boy to come out. This festival is even attended by the Kashi Naresh of the Ramnagar who views the Krishna Leela from his royal boat. After all, he offers awards to the actors who have performed in the festival.

History and Legend of Nakkatayya

Nakkatayya festival is celebrated at Chetganj in Varanasi. It is an event from the great Indian epic, the Ramayana which is commemorated for the slitting of the nose of Supernkha (sister of the Ravan, the devil King) by the Lakshman (younger brother of the Lord Ram). It is considered that Supernkha was very beautiful lady and she was trying to attract both people, the Lord Ram and Lakshman to marry with them.

Supernkha liked them much and wants to marry them, that’s why she had tried to entice them by taking a new look. Lakshman then gets angry and he slited the nose of the Suparnakha. She was crying loudly and goes to her elder brother Ravan. Nakkatayya Leela is performed by the people in Varanasi to replay this great episode in front of the people to rememorize the past event.

When and Where Nakkatayya is Celebrated

Nakkatayya festival is held at Chetganj in Varanasi in the mid October where parades and scenes are exhibited in the narrow streets of the Varanasi in order to represent the triumph of truth over evil. People, who participate in the parade or drama for particular scenes start their practice and preparations few weeks ago from the exact date of the play. People wait for Nakkatayya fair from the whole year to enjoy the fair. Fairs and festivals in Varanasi brings a lot of happiness in the life of people at Benares and nearby areas of the Benaras.

Shiva Linga is also known as the lingam, ling, Shiv ling. It represents the most important Hindu deity, Lord Shiva which is placed in the temples to worship. Shiva Lingam is worshipped by the Hindu devotees as a symbol of energy and potential of God. Shiva linga is considered by the people as Shiva himself. Shiva lingam is always represented with the yoni which is a symbol of Mata Shakti (means female creative energy). It symbolise the unique indivisible power of the male and female means lingam and yoni which originates all the lives.

It is considered that Shiva linga has neither any beginning nor any end and everything in this world would become intermingled into one and form a formless shape. Means a lingam indicates it is a sign of emergence and mergence of anything. A lingam of Amarnath is very famous all over the world and more than thousands of devotees come annually to have a view of it. It is formed every year in the winter season by the ice of the western Himalayas thus called ice lingam. During winter ice drips on the floor of cave and takes a form of stalagmite after freezing. A big crowd of the devotees from every corner of the world come here to worship.

There is another Shiva ling shaped mountain of 6543 m height found in the Garhwal region of Himalayas in Uttarakhand. This pyramid is made up of Gangotri Glacier and completely resembles to Shiva linga. It is a traditional Hindu pilgrimage where people go every year to worship.

Shiva Linga

The origin of the lingam has been described in the Hindu scripture of Shiva Purana in its first section of Vidyeshwar Samhita. Shiva-linga has been described as beginning-less and endless cosmic pillar (means Stambha) of the fire which is originally a cause of all causes. It never has any ending and beginning. It (Lingodbhava) symbolises the superiority over all gods such as Brahma (God of origin) and Vishnu (God of wellness). According to the Linga Purana, it is symbolises as the cosmic pillar means an infinite nature of Shiva. It is the representation of a tasteless, formless and smell less Universe Bearer. It is the oval shape structure resembling the whole Universe and its bottom resembling the base of Supreme Power which hold the entire Universe.

Shiva linga meaning

According to the Skanda Purana it is described as “The endless sky (that great void which contains the entire universe) is the Linga, the Earth is its base. At the end of time the entire universe and all the Gods finally merge in the Linga itself.” According to the yogic lore it is described as “first form to arise when creation occurs, and also the last form before the dissolution of creation”.

The meaning of Shiva Ling varies according to the uses, marks, signs and characteristic to gender. Some of the meanings are given as:

• It is a mark, token, sign, an emblem, a badge, symbol, distinguishing mark and characteristic.
• It is an unreal mark, an appearance, disguise, a deceptive symbol.
• It is a proof or evidence, sign of gender or sex and male organ of generation.
• It is a genital organ of the Lord Siva (means phallus) or an image of a god means an idol.
• It is a subtle frame or body and indestructible form of visible body.
• It is a creator and destructor of the universe.

Shiva lingas are divided into many types according to the materials used to make it such as sandalwood paste, river clay, wood, stones, white marbles, precious gems, metal, mercury, gold, silver, etc. There is a exact proportions decided to make height, width, and curvature of the Shiva ling. Some type of Shiva lingam are mukhalinga (one face from five carved on sides and top), lingodbhavamurti (a linga emerging out from fiery linga), linga with a cobra on top, svayambhuva (means self-originated linga) directly made from light, Sphatika-linga (made up of quartz), etc. Around 70 lingas are worshipped throughout the world and have become the places of pilgrimage.

Black Shiva Linga

Black Shiva Lingam is considered as holy and sacred form and it contains highly protective energies. Earlier it was limited to the Temples only however recently it is found in the individual home temples by the devotees. It is stone made egg-shaped cryptocrystalline formed lingam (a only stone found in Narmada River, Onkar Mandhata). This lingam helps in resonating energies of all elements like water, earth, fire, air, and stone. Worshiping this lingam helps in charging the chakra system, activate kundalini energies, boost body vitality, promote inner transformation positively, show path to new life, enhance feeling of unity and even, increase healing properties as well as helps in treating impotence and infertility by strengthening and balancing the whole body.

White Marble Shiva Linga

This type of lingam is made up of white marbles and very beneficial for the people having suicidal tendency. Worshiping this lingam changes the mind positively and prevents from the suicidal attempt by removing negative thoughts. It is of great importance for the devotees and use for meditation purpose, avoiding suicide thoughts, removing negative thoughts and improving concentration level.

Parad Shiva Linga

Parad Shiva linga is of great importance for the Hindu devotees and worshipped with complete process, belief and devotion. It is worshiped to be strong physically, mentally, spiritually, and psychologically as well as get protected from the natural calamities, evil power, disaster, and other bad effects. It is worshipped to get prosperity and positive strength as well as occurrence of Lakshmi.

It is believed that the origin of Linga and Linga-worship is an ancient characteristic of the indigenous Indian Hindu religion. According to the hymn in the Atharvaveda, it is praises as a pillar means stambha which was the most possible origin of linga worship. It is also described the beginning less and endless form of the Stambha or Skambha. The origin of the linga is also described in the Linga Purana in expanded form of stories and glory of great Stambha or supreme nature. According to the Shaiva Siddhanta, it is described as an ideal substrate which a worshipper installs and worships a five faced and ten armed Lord Shiva means Sadasiva. Around 1008 Lingas have been engraved on the bank of Tungabhadra River, Hampi, India.

A most ancient lingam which is worshipped by the devotees is in Gudimallam which is a phallic object and designed with figure of Shiva in front of the lingam. It is also means differently in to the Buddhism and most notably a penis image used in the teaching of Drukpa Kunley (a Buddhist monk). Worshipping the lingam has been criticized by the British missionary William Ward. It is also considered that it is a representation of human organ which is worshipped to arouse erotic emotions in the devotees.

It was practiced as Jivanta-linga-puja means worshipping a living lingam by the Ramakrishna. Swami Vivekananda (the follower of Ramakrishna) had argued about Shiva-Linga origin of Yupa-Stambha or Skambha. Origin of Shalagrama-Shila and Linga to phallicism was traced by the German Orientalist. However, Vivekananda had explained the origin of Shalagrama-Shila as a phallic emblem as an imaginary invention. The representation of linga as a phallus was taken as mistake by the Swami Sivananda.

According to the puranas – the Kurma Purana, the Vayu Purana and Shiva Purana, the legend of Shiva Linga or origin behind the linga (Lingodbhavamurthy) is related to the Mahashivaratri, a most significant festival of Hindu religion. It is the story of unsuccessful search of Brahma and Vishnu which was about to discover the Aadi (means beginning) and the Antha (means end) of the Lord Shiva before the beginning of universe generation. Finally they get confirmed about the supremacy of the Lord Mahadeva in the whole universe.

According to the Puranas, once two Hindu Gods (Brahma and Vishnu) were fighting each other to prove themselves powerful than other one. Then the Supreme God Shiva was asked to intervene by other Gods. He decided to make everything clear between them. He assumed to create a flaming Linga in between Brahma and Vishnu. He challenged both Gods to search the beginning and end of that flaming linga.

One of them goes upper side and other one goes downside in searching for the same as well as establishing their supremacy over each other. Lord Brahma took a swan from and went upwards whereas Lord Vishnu took a Varaha form and went downwards. After searching for thousands of miles without any result both became fed up and returned. Brahma made a false statement of Ketaki flower that he had seen the top. Suddenly, Lord Shiva appeared in his full glory from the central part of the pillar. He revealed the false statement of the Brahma in front of Vishnu, Soon, both of them accepted the supremacy of Lord Shiva. He explained that both of you mean Brahma and Vishnu was born out of him.

Lord Brahma was cursed by the Lord Shiva for his false claim that he would never be prayed by anyone. That’s why the temple of Brahma in India is hardly found. He also cursed the Ketaki flower for her wrong testifying and was banned forever to be used as an offering in any worship. It was 14^th day of dark fortnight of Phalgun month when Lord Shiva appeared himself in the form of a Linga. The day was really an auspicious day for devotees which is still being celebrated as the Mahashivaratri (means the grand night of Lord Shiva). Shiva Linga is worshipped by the devotees on this festival with full belief and devotion in order to be blessed with happiness and prosperity.

Shiva Linga is considered as the sacred and holy symbol of the Lord Shiva by his devotees. Shiva Linga is a round shape structure having elliptical and iconic image with a circular base or peetham (which represents Parashakti means manifesting power of God). Linga means a male reproductive organ and the base of it is believed as the Yoni means vagina (a female reproductive organ) which represent the process of copulation (means sexual intercourse). The worship of the Shiva Linga by the devotees is carried out from ancient time as a symbol of energy, creation and enlightenment. According to the Tantras and Puranas, it is considered the linga is arises from the yoni which indicates the origin of whole universe.

Shiva Lingas are generally made us of stone, metal, mercury or other things like precious gems, wood, crystal, earth or transitory materials like ice. According to the some scholars, it is also made up of 12 different materials like rice, sand, river clay, cooked food, darbha grass, ashes, cow dung, butter, rudraksha seeds, sandalwood, a flower garland or molasses. Continuous mantra reciting of Om Namah Sivaya is very necessary while constructing the linga in order to make it holy and sacred.

The midnight time is considered as best and preferable time to worship Linga by reciting the mantra of Om Namah Sivaya (five crore times is highly fruitful). Sixteen services are considered necessary to be performed while worshipping the linga which are Asana (Seating), Padyam (means washing feet of God), Arghya (offering water for sipping), Snana (means body wash), Anulepana (means applying Ash to God body), Gandham (means offering lights), Naivedyam (means offering food, fruits, etc), Tambula (offering betel leaves and nuts), Paneeya (offering Gange water, coconut water), Vastram (offering clothing), Alankaram (decorating God body with Bilva leaves or flowers), Achamaniya (offering Ganga water to sip), Arati (offering camphor or ghee diya) and Mantra Pushpa (Chanting Vedic mantras or hymns).

The whole worships is considered to be completed and fruitful when performed on the bank of Holy Rivers (Ganga, Sindhu, Sarasvati, etc) or in the Temples located at bank of Gange, Yamuna, Godavari, Narmada, Kaveri, etc. That’s why worshipping Shiva Linga is highly beneficial at Sacred Places such as Badari, Kasi, Kedar, etc. Performing Shiva Linga puja at Cow-sheds, near to the Tulsi plant, sea shores, mountain top, etc is ten times more beneficial and fruitful. It is best to perform puja in Magha month, Kartik Month and every Krishna Chaturdasi days.

Shiva linga is spoken itself as Nature means Prakriti which marks the presence of formless Omnipotent Lord. It is a form of undying soul who indwells into our innermost self means Atman. According to the ancient scripture of Linga Purana, Linga do not has any form, smell, taste, colour, etc. It is a generative power of the Lord Shiva. It is like a cosmic egg means a “Brahmanda” which symbolise that Prakriti has been created by the power of male and the female. It also symbolises the “Satya”, “Jnana” and “Ananta” which means Truth, knowledge and Infinity.

Shiva Linga has its three parts named as the lowest one is called as Brahma-Pitha, the middle one is called as Vishnu-Pitha while uppermost one is called as Shiva-Pitha. There are 12 Holiest Shiva Lingas (called Jyotir-lingas) and 5 Pancha-bhuta Lingas are found all over the country. 12 Jyotir-lingas are named as Kedarnath, Mahakal, Somnath, Amaleshwar, Baijnath, Kashi Vishwanath, Rameswar, Bhimshankar, Mallikarjun, Nageshwar, Ghrusneswar and Tryambakeshwar whereas 5 Pancha-bhuta Lingas are named as Kalahastishwar, Arunachaleshwar, Ekambareshwar of Kanjivaram, Jambukeshwar and Nataraja of Chidambaram. Lord Mahalinga temple found in Tiruvidaimarudur is famous as the Madhyarjuna.

Especially Sphatika-linga (made up of quartz) is prescribed to deeply worshipping Lord Shiva. It is considered that worshipping linga blesses with lots of power because of the mysterious or indescribable power of the Shakti in the Linga. It also enhances the mind concentration level as well as helps in focusing at one place. That’s why ancient Indian sages worships linga and considered themselves pure devotee of the Lord Shiva.

Linga is not only a block of substance or stone or other things instead it is a medium to connect with God, raise mind and body consciousness, and helps to get attention on one place. Lord Rama itself had worshiped the Shiva Linga at the Rameshwaram and Ravana itself was a great devotee of the Linga and he worshiped a golden Linga for getting spiritual powers.

One of the most revered and ancient cities in India, Varanasi is known for its myriad of temples that hold immense religious and cultural significance. In Banaras, the “city of temples,” there are both temples to God and temples to his followers that are each special in their own way. Sant Ravidas Mandir is a significant religious site located in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple is dedicated to the renowned poet-saint and social reformer, Sant Ravidas. The temple is visited by devotees from various parts of the country, who come to pay their respects and seek blessings. Sant Ravidas Mandir holds great cultural and religious significance, serving as a symbol of devotion and inspiration for countless devotees and admirers of Sant Ravidas.

Sant Ravidas Mandir is where Guru Ravidas was born. Guru Ji’s followers now consider the Janam Asthan Mandir in Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, to be a place of peace, or Begampura. It has also become the Ultimate Place of Pilgrimage for them. Every year, when the date of Guru Ravidas’s birth comes around, millions of people from India and other places come to the Mandir to worship. Saint Ravidas’s devotion to Seer Govardhan’s labor practice was so beneficial that he is now revered by his followers as highly as God. The followers are so devoted that they gave money to build a large temple at the place where the Guru was born. This temple became the second Golden Temple of Kashi, after Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. In this temple as a whole, there is more than 200 kg of gold. This grows every year because people give more money to it. The serene and peaceful environment of the temple makes it an ideal place for prayer and meditation.

Overview of the Temple

The Sant Ravidas temple is white in color located near BHU area of Varanasi. Many things in the temple is made of gold, including the Saint Ravidas’s palanquin. Aside from Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, followers from all over the world have given money to turn the top of the saint’s temple in gold. The donation consisted of a gold palanquin weighing 130 kilograms, a gold lamp weighing 35 kilograms, a gold umbrella weighing 35 kilograms, and 32 gold urns. On July 16, 1998, K. R. Narayanan, who was President of India at the time, opened the Shri Guru Ravidass Gate, a huge, impressive entrance to the temple. Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan is reached through Shri Guru Ravidas Gate at Lanka Chauraha near BHU.

The foundation stone of this Mandir was laid on Ashad Sankranti, June 14, 1965, by Hari Das and a big group of Dera Ballan devotees sent by Sarwan Dass for the job. Devotees found where Guru Ravidas was born, and a temple was built there. People think that Guru Ravidas used to live and practice bhakti here. The temple was finished being built in the year 1994. The golden roof on top of the temple was put there in a special ceremony by Banta Ram Ghera and Kanshi Ram, who is the national leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

In 1972, the first part of the building was finished. On February 22, 1974, a Murti of Guru Ravidas Ji was put up in the Mandir. At the same time, a Murti of Sant Sarwan DassJi was also put up as a way to thank him for making a beautiful Mandir at the place where Guru Ji was born. In 1993, the Trust did more construction work at the Mandir. The second phase of construction was finished on April 7, 1994, when Babu Kanshi Ram Ji put a golden Kalash on top of the Mandir dome in front of Sant Garib Dass Ji, other saints, and a large group of devotees.

Shri 108 Sant Sarwan DassJi of Dera SachKhand Ballan took on the sacred task of keeping Guru Ji’s memory alive in Benaras and building a proper memorial to him. He was a spiritual, visionary, and revolutionary saint. He worked hard to make Bani of Guru Ravidas Ji famous among people who were poor and socially backward. He believed that his job would have been completed when a monument was built at the place where Guru Ravidas Ji gave the sermon of Begupura. Swami Sarwan Das Ji chose a small group of people to do this job. The group went to Varanasi and looked at the area around the Banaras Hindu University. The Imlee tree and other signs showed that Guru Ravidas Ji was born in a village called Seer Govardhanpur, which is near BHU and on the outskirts of Varanasi. The plot of land was bought, and work on an impressive temple began right away. On Ashad Sankranti, Monday, June 14, 1965, Sant Hari Dass Ji and a big group of Dera Bala devotees sent by Sant Sarwan Dass Ji for the job laid the foundation stone for this Mandir.

It is the most important place of worship or pilgrimage for people who follow the Ravidasi faith. Dharma Nagri Kashi is home to Saint Ravidas Mandir, often known as the second Golden Temple of Kashi, as there is more than 200 kilogram of gold in this temple. Guru Ravidas’s followers from all over the world hope to visit Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir in Seer Goverdhan (Varanasi) at least once in their lives to pay their respects.

Every year on Magh Purnima, at Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir, a big celebration is held to honor the birth of Shri Guru Ravidas. People from all over the country and the world come to this holy Mandir to pay their respects. Every year since the year 2000, a special train has run from Jalandhar City to Varanasi to make the travel convenient for the tourists.

Today, people who follow Guru Ji know about Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir Varanasi all over the world. For them, it is a pilgrimage and a sign of Dalit identity and awakening. The doors to Kashi’s Sant Ravidas Mandir open at 7:00 AM and close at 11:00 PM. From 7:30 in the morning, the morning darshan begins.

Shri Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan Mandir is situated at Seer Govardhanpur, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It can be reached from different means of transportation.

By Air: The airport closest to Sant Ravidas Mandir is the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport Babatpur, which is about 25 kilometers away. You can easily get to this temple from here by using public transportation or a cab.

By Train: The Varanasi railway station is about 9 km away from Sant Ravidas Mandir. The Banaras railway station is the closest train stop and is about 7.7 km from the temple. You can easily get to this temple from here by using any road transportation.

By Road: The roads that lead to this temple are well connected to the roads that lead to the other places in the city. This means that you can easily get to this temple from any part of the country in your own car, on a public bus, or in an auto rickshaw.

Kashi, or Varanasi, is one of the world’s oldest and most populous cities. The beauty of Varanasi is a combination of its ancient history, its spiritual significance, and its vibrant culture. And the city itself is full of life, with people from all walks of life coming to Varanasi to worship, learn, and experience its unique atmosphere. The railway has always been an integral part of any traveler’s journey, connecting people from various parts of the country and enabling them to witness the diversity that India has to offer. One such railway station that holds immense historical and cultural significance is the Kashi Railway Station in Varanasi. The railway station is a convenient means to get to this busy city and a great way for visitors to experience Varanasi’s unique atmosphere.

Station code : KEI
Location : Kashi Railway Station Road, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Owned and Operated by : Indian Railways
Number of Platforms : 3
How to reach : Auto rickshaw, Bus
Parking : Available
Zone : Northern Railway
Division : Varanasi

One of the railway stations in the Varanasi area is the Kashi railway station located in the heart of Varanasi. The Kashi railway station serves the Varanasi district’s eastern suburbs and is a major secondary station for the Varanasi and Mughalsarai (Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya) junction. The Kashi railway station serves a lot of pilgrims who go to the city of Varanasi for pujas and other important events.

Kashi railway station has been fully redone with modern facilities for the convenience of passengers. The station’s bathrooms have been updated with modern, user-friendly features like better water booths and water taps. The infrastructure of the waiting rooms has been updated, and stainless steel chairs have been added so that people can sit down while they wait. Beautiful walls, waiting rooms, places to move around, and a foot overbridge (FOB) were added to the station. As part of the beautification program, the general look of the Kashi railway station has been improved. The walls of the station have been painted with three-dimensional paintings that are waterproof and can withstand the weather. LEDs were also added to make up for the bad lighting, and colorful lights were used at night to make the area look better. These paintings show the religious and culture history of the city of Varanasi. For the purpose of upgrading, up to one crore was invested.

Kashi railway station is 6 kilometers east of Varanasi Junction railway station, 11 kilometers north-west of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction railway station, and 26 kilometers south-east of Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport. The station code is KEI. There are three platforms at the Kashi railway station. The station has four double-Electric lines that go through it. On average, two trains leave this station and 38 trains stop here every day. The station is a safe place to travel, but it is always a good idea to be aware of your surroundings and take precautions against pickpockets. The station is well-connected to the city’s public transportation system, and it is easy to get to and from the station by bus, taxi, or rickshaw.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) picked the Kashi railway station as the Intermodal Station (IMS) because Varanasi has a lot of traffic and the number of growing businesses. The Intermodal station will connect to different kinds of transportation, like train, road, bus rapid transit, etc. It will be built with help from both the public and business sectors. It is thought that 47.26 acres will be needed to build Intermodal Station (IMS).

Govardhan Puja is also known as the Annakut puja (or Padwa, Bali Pratipada, and Gujarati New Year), means worshiping the pile of grains (symbolizing the Govardhan mountain), which is celebrated to remember the victory of Lord Krishna over the arrogant Indra. It is considered that, at this day Lord Krishna had defeated the Lord of heaven, known as Indra. Lord Krishna told the people of the Vrindavan dham to worship the Nature because only the Nature is nurturing you. He taught people that worship the Govardhan Mountain (which brings rain to the earth) and stop worshiping Indra. Such type of message of the Lord Krishna to the people was generally to teach the people to take care of the nature.

Govardhan Pooja 2016

Govardhan Puja 2016 would be celebrated by the people at Monday, on 31st of October.

Govardhan Pooja 2015

Govardhan Puja 2015 was celebrated by the people at Thursday, on 12th of November.

Govardhan Pooja 2014

Govardhan Puja 2014 was celebrated by the people at Friday, on 24th of October.

Why Govardhan Pooja is Celebrated (Significance)

A great mountain of the food, called as the Govardhan Mountain, is adorned by the people at this occasion. It is considered that the Govardhan Mountain was lifted by the Lord Krishna in order to save the life of people from the arrogant Indra. Lord Indra was throwing thunder and a lot of rain over the earth and lord Krishna had saved the millions of life by lifting the Govardhan mountain on his little finger. From then, the Annakut pooja is performed with the immense passion and eagerness by the people in various states of India such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Mathura, Vrindavan and Bihar.

How Govardhan Pooja is Celebrated (Celebration)

In some Indian states, Govardhan Puja is celebrated by making the hillocks of cow-dung which represents the Mount Govardhan. Then people decorate the hillocks by flowers and worship them. Devotees make rounds around the hillocks and pray to Lord Govardhan to save their life as always. At some places, it is celebrated as a part of the Diwali such as the Padva or Bali Pratipada to commemorate the King Bali. And at some places, it is enjoyed as a Gujarati New Year because the Vikram Samvat begins at this day.

Kashi, also known as Banaras, has a long and interesting past, and it is a very important pilgrimage site. From its historical roots to its religious rules, the city of Kashi has a lot of spiritual importance in Hinduism. Because it is so old, it has a lot of history and culture. Its old temples, ghats, and other sites are well-known, which attracts more tourists. To understand the story of Kashi let’s get back to its untold past.

According to legends, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu had a fight about who had the most supreme power. Lord Shiva struck the three worlds with an endless source of light, so that he could see how powerful they were. As a bird, Brahma flew up into the sky. Lord Vishnu dug into the ground in the shape of a pig. But they couldn’t find the end of the light. Vishnu was ashamed and knew he had lost. But Brahman didn’t want to lose, so he lied. Lord Shiva got angry and cut one head of Brahma. Shiva was cursed with Brahma-Hatya after killing Lord Brahma in the form of Kaal bhairava. He held the head and moved throughout the Earth. When Kaal Bhairava reached Kashi, the head fell off and he was set free. The story says that this place became Kashi.

Padwa 2016 would be celebrated by the people on 31st of November, at Monday.

Padwa 2015 Padwa 2015 was celebrated by the people on 12th of November, at Thursday.

Padwa 2014

Padwa 2014 was celebrated by the people on 24th of October, at Friday.

Padwa – Bali Pratipada – Govardhan Puja

Padwa is celebrated on the 4^th days of Diwali. It is also known as the New Year or Varsapratipada. This festival is celebrated every year very happily and energetically by the people.

History of Padwa/Bali Pratipada/Govardhan Puja

It is commemorated as a New Year day on the 1^st day of the month of Chaitra in the Maharashtra. This festival indicates the start of spring season. This festival is the great symbol for newly married couple in the Varanasi for their great love and affection.

Govardhan Puja is also celebrated on this day at some places of India. There is a big history behind celebrating the Govardhan Puja by the people in India. It is considered that the Lord Krishna had lifted the mountain Govardhan on his little finger to save the life of thousands of people of Gokul from the Lord of Heaven called Indra. Indra was throwing thunder as well as heavy rain on the earth of Gokul hence, people of Gokul were very upset since they have no space in the Gokul to stand up. That’s why Lord Krishna had lifted the large mountain on his little finger to save their life. At that time, the mountain Govardhan had worked as a big umbrella for them.

Significance of Padwa/Bali Pratipada/Govardhan Puja

People of the Mathura commemorate this day as an Annakoot or Mountain of food in order to get free from their all problems. They worship deity for getting protection and successful life. They provide milk bath to the deities and then dress up them with the shiny clothes and ornaments. They perform traditional puja by chanting the special mantras, arti, prayers and Bhog with the delicious sweets. They raise the Bhog sweet as a Mountain of Food and distribute among them as a prasad of it.