My Visit to a Place of Pilgrimage
India is a place of pilgrims and pilgrimages. People of different faiths and religions live in our country and they have their own places of worship. There are many places of pilgrimage in every part of our country. They are looked upon with deep devotion. Haridwar, Varanasi¸Allahabad, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Rameshwaram and Mathura are some of the most poplar places of pilgrimage. These places always remain overcrowded with pilgrims from all parts of the country.
Once I got an opportunity to visit Varanasi when my mother showed her desire to have a dip in the holy water of river Ganga. In order to fulfill her desire my father decided to go to Varanasi. I also visited the place with them. We reached there by Ganga-Yamuna Express in the morning hours. We were surrounded by the Pandas at the platform. But my father paid no attention towards them. We stayed there in a Dharamshala. We put our luggage in a room and went to bathe in the river.
The morning hours on the bank of the river are very beautiful. The rays of the sun were falling upon the bathing ghats, on the tops of the temples and on the water of the river. We bathed in the holy water. Some people were chanting hymns. Some were offering Ganga water to the sun. It is believed that one single dip in the holy river Ganga can wash away all the sins of life. It is a great pleasure to take a dip in the cold water of the river.
After bathing we went to the Vishwanath temple to offer our prayers. It is the main center of attraction. Its architecture is very impressive. There was an atmosphere of religious peace everywhere. We were very much grieved to learn that the original temple was destroyed by Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb and a mosque was built at its place.
Next day my father took us to different sites, temples, ghats and Ashrams. We saw Birla Mandir, Mani Karnika ghat, Dusasvamedha ghat. We also visited a tower called the Dhwaja of Beni Madhav. We climbed up the tower from where we had a grand view of Varanasi. It is a great ancient city where the streets and lanes are dusty. Of all the sights in Varanasi, that of evening service of the temple of Vishwanath is most solemn and impressive. The temple bells ring for the evening worship. The Arti scene was grand and worth-seeing. The sweet chanting of Ganga Arti filled the whole atmosphere. From the midstream the banks looked as through hung with garlands of light. Bells and gongs sound in all temples on the riverside. The ghats are crowded with people of both the sexes.
Our visit to Varanasi was very pleasant. We cannot forget it throughout our life. It had a deep impression on our minds. On the whole, the city of Varanasi has a strong appeal to the Hindu mind. Varanasi is the holiest place in the world.
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