Vishwanath Temple, Uttarakhand
Uttarkashi is situated at a distance of 154 kilometers from Rishikesh, on the Rishikesh- Gangotri route. The Viswanath Temple is the most important and ancient holy shrine in this region. Of the many temples in Uttarkashi, the temple of Lord Vishwanath is unrivaled in importance. Shiva, the presiding deity of this temple, is worshipped all day here. Every evening, visitors are greeted by the sound of bells, and the chanting of mantras by pundits at the puja. Within the courtyard of the Vishwanath temple, and to the front of it, is the Shakti Temple, dedicated to the goddess of strength. The massive brass trident projecting from this temple bears an inscription describing how the Vishwanath Temple was built. According to it, the temple was built by King Ganeshwar, whose son Guh, a great warrior, built the trident. 26 feet high, this trident’s base measures 8 feet 9 inches, and its top, 18’/2 inches in circumference.
History
The original Kashi Vishwanath temple was built by sage Parshuram and was later in 1857 by Maharani Khaneti, wife of Sudarshan Shah. The best part about the temple is that the altar of the presiding has not been touched and it is the same pre-existing ancient one. It is a belief and as it has been mentioned in Skanda Puran that Lord Shiva will permanently settle here during the 2nd half of the Kaliyuga when the original Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi will be flooded underwater.
Another main attraction here is a Shakti Temple which is dedicated to the goddess Parvati and is located right opposite the temple of Vishwanath. The defining feature of this temple is a giant 6 meters tall Trishul which is believed to have been thrown by the devils at goddess Durga. Being 1500 years old this Trishul is one of the oldest relics in Uttarakhand. Believe it or not, the Trishul cannot be moved even if you apply your complete bodyweight but vibrates lightly if you press it with one finger. I think some things can never be explained in this world.