"IS EVERYBODY IN, THE CEREMONY IS ABOUT TO BEGIN"
The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple
There are many Temples in Varanasi, The Shri Kashi Vishwanath being the most famous, it was built in 1776 and is plated with eight hundred kilograms of gold. My tour guide took me to the Temple, the whole area is full of armed soldiers, due to ongoing religious tension. All bags must be placed in lockers along with phones, cameras and electronic devices but keep your passport with you. The guide was very helpful in assisting me, he walked me past a long line of Indians to gate two where foreigners enter the Temple. You have to go through a metal detector and further security to show your passport (original) then leave your shoes by the door as you enter. When you finally get in it can be incredibly intense with much pushing, shoving and falling over each other for a chance to give an offering and touch the sacred lingam, which is believed to absolve all sins. On Holy days and Religious festivals Indians travel from all over the world and queue up to forty eight hours to enter Vishwanath.
I witnessed this on my second trip to Varanasi during Maha Shivrati it was somewhat chaotic to say the least, I should have checked dates as it also coincided with the end of Kumb Mela, the worlds largest Hindu gathering that happens every 3 years with over 100 million attendees. A lot of the festival goers, including naked Naga Sadhu's (Holy Men) travelling down from Allahabad arrived in Varanasi at the same time as me. My best advice would be to plan your trip to avoid these times.