Kāshī, the City of Vishvanātha and Jñānavāpī: Succession, Sustenance, and Resurrection to Sustainability
摘要
The Vishvanātha temple is Varanasi’s most important sacred site, which has recorded so many ups and downs in history—the history of destruction and resurrection. Varanasi is known as the cultural capital of India, and Vishvanātha is its patron deity. Only a century later, on 25th August 1777, by the patronage of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar (CE 1725–1795) of Indore, the present temple of Vishvanātha was initiated and completed and consecrated on the festive occasion of Shiva’s marriage—Maha Shivaratri in 1780! Over time, many shrines and temples have been built or reconstructed in the vicinity due to spatial transposition. Also, several old ones were revitalised under the patronage of landlords and kings. Consequently, a mass of illegal encroachments and buildings grew in the name of serving Vishvanātha, and within the houses, shrines were constructed, and folk mythologies were superimposed to raise the image under upward mobility. In the recent development under the Kāshī Vishvanātha Temple Corridor (KVTC), the sacred landscapes have noticed significant changes, where modernisation is accepted while maintaining the old traditions. Using maps and photographs, this chapter narrates the story of Succession to Sustenance, and from Resurrection to Sustainability concerning Vishvanātha Temple Kshetra (territory), Varanasi.