Krittivaseshwar Temple, Kashi

Krittivaseshwar Temple in Kashi is one of the Pancha Lingas of Kashi as mentioned in the Kurma Purana. The other lingas being Omkareshwar Linga, Vishwanatha Linga, Madhyameshwara Linga and Kapaardeeshwara Linga. The Krittivaseshwar Linga is described as the best of the Shivalingas in Kashi as per the Skanda Purana. The Krittivaseshwar Temple lies between the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Mahamrityunjay Temple in the Daranagar area of Kashi. The word ‘Kriti’ means the skin.

This Shivalinga is said to be the body of the demon Gajasura which transformed into the Krittivaseshwar Linga as per the orders of Lord Shiva. It is said that there are 18 body parts of Lord Shiva represented by various Shivalingas in Kashi which is also called as the Anga Yatra. Among them, Krittivaseshwar represents the head of Lord Shiva. The unique fact is that the Lord stays here 24 hours without moving anywhere.

Darshan of the Krittivaseshwar Linga is said to grant freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

The History of the Krittivaseshwar Temple

The establishment of the Krittivasheshwar Linga has been mentioned in the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Once Lord Shiva was narrating the pastime of the establishment of his Shivalinga called Ratneshwar Linga to Parvati Devi. During the narration, he started hearing cries saying “Save Us, Save Us! Gajasura, the son of demon Mahisha is coming here, crushing all the Pramathas. He is haughty and proud due to his prowess.”

Gajasura was a ferocious and huge demon who was given special boons by Lord Brahma. He was 9000 yojanas in height with a huge girth. He made the earth tremble whenever and wherever he walked. He went about destroying mountain peaks, causing high tides in the ocean, huge waves in the rivers, etc. Gajasura was proud that he could not be killed by any human being possessing lust.

Lord Shiva knew the fact that Gajasura could not be killed by anything else than his very own Trident. The Lord picked up his Trident and pierced Gajasura raising him in the air. Gajasura thought that he resembled an umbrella.

He submitted before Lord Shiva that he was fortunate enough to die at the hands of Lord Shiva. Hence, he thought of this as his achievement. Hearing this submission, Lord Shiva laughed and told Gajasura to ask for a boon. Gajasura said the following in his reply:

“O Lord with the quarters for your robes, if you are pleased, O three-eyed one, always wear this hide of mine. It has been sanctified by the fire from your trident. It fits you in size. It is smooth to touch. It has been won as a stake in the battlefield. May it always have a pleasing odour. May it always be very tender. May it always be free from impurities. May it always be an excellent decoration. O Lord, though it was subjected to the flames of the fire of great penance for a long time (or as it had survived the fire of your third eye), this hide has never been burnt. Hence it is the storehouse of merit and fragrance. If my hide had not been meritorious, O quarter-clad one, how could it have come in contact with you in the battlefield? O Shankara, if you are pleased, grant me another boon. From today onwards, may you have the name Krittivasa.”

Lord Shiva establishes Krittivaseshwar Linga

Lord Shiva agreed to the boon requested by Gajasura. He further said that Gajasura has become sanctified as he died in Kashi. Hence, Gajasura’s sacred body would become a Shivalinga at the very same spot. This Shivalinga would award liberation to all and be known by the name Krittivaseshwar.

It would destroy huge sins and be the best of all Shivalingas in Kashi. Lord Shiva promised to stay in the Krittivaseshwar Linga and bless all those who reside in Kashi irrespective of who they were. This Shivalinga awards liberation in a single birth and destroys the worshipper’s sins immediately. After pronouncing this, Lord Shiva wore the hide of Gajasura.

A kunda was formed where Gajasura was lifted on Lord Shiva’s Trident. This came to be known as Hamsa Tirtha. A devotee should ideally take a holy bath here, offer respects to ancestors and then visit the Krittivaseshwar Temple.

Recent history of the Krittivaseshwar Temple

The Krittivaseshwar temple was a grand one according to the historical records. But the Mughal emperor Aurangazeb had destroyed the temple during his invasion of Kashi. Krittivaseshwar Temple was the first temple to be destroyed followed by Kashi Vishwanath, Bindu Madhava and Kaal Bhairav. Yet the Krittivaseshwar Linga couldn’t be destroyed.

You can still observe the marks of the attacks on the Shivalinga. Even the British had attacked this Shivalinga with a dagger. Due to the attacks, Lord Krittivaseshwar went away to the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh. When the attackers went away, the Lord appeared in the dream of few people.

One among them was King Patnimal’s mother. The Lord appeared in her dream and asked her to bring his Shivalinga back from the Narmada River to Kashi. Following this, King Patnimal rebuilt the temple in 1656 CE. After this, 21 brahmanas were sent to the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh to bring back the Krittivaseshwar Linga.

The Shivalinga didn’t budge from the river two times. In the third attempt, it came out by itself. Lord Krittivaseshwar was brought back to Kashi and consecrated. In the mosque compound adjacent to the new temple, the old Deity of Krittivaseshwar is still present. This mosque was built on the ruins of the old temple. Devotees are allowed in here only on the occasion of Shivaratri. There is a lot of security cover here due to the very same reason.

There are 2 Krittivaseshwar temple (s) in Kashi next to each other. Many devotees believe that the original linga is completely destroyed and another linga has been established in its place. Out of these 2 temples it is not established with sufficient proofs that which is the original one. However for us devotees it is more important to remember the lilas of Lord Shiva and be blessed with the darshan in Kashi.

Festivals at Krittivaseshwar Temple

Maha-Shivaratri and Masik-Shivaratri are the two most important festivals celebrated at the Krittivaseshwar Mahadev Mandir. Masik Shivaratri is celebrated every month. Apart from that, the Chaturdashi Tithi of Krishna Paksha every month is very important for devotees. This day is a festival for devotees too.

The Temple Timings of Krittivaseshwar Temple

The Krittivaseshwar temple is open for darshan at the following times:

Morning: 04.00 AM to 01.30 PM

Evening:  05.00 Pm to 10.00 PM

Mangala Aarti happens at 4 AM while other main aartis happen at 8 AM, 12 PM, 8 PM and 10 PM (Shayan Aarti)

You can consult the pujari if you wish to perform any pujas.

How to reach the Krittivaseshwar Temple

The Krittivaseshwar temple lost its relevance post the destruction of the grand old Krittivaseshwar Temple by Aurangazeb. But this doesn’t mean that it remains unimportant spiritually. When Lord Shiva has declared himself that Krittivaseshwar would be the best of Shivalingas in Kashi, who else can browbeat him. One darshan of the Lord here is enough to free yourself of all sins.

Being one of the Pancha Lingas of Kashi makes it further important too. The priest Mahant Sudheer Gaud can tell you unique and unheard facts about the temple. All you need to do is prepare to come to Kashi with the utmost devotion.

Make sure you offer your respects to the guardians of Kashi first and then visit Lord Krittivaseshwar. If you’re with Tirtha Yatra on their Kashi Yatra, you’ll have a worry-less experience.

To visit the Krittivaseshwar Temple, reach Kashi by utilizing one of the modes below:

By Road: Kashi is well connected by road to major cities in India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, etc. You can travel in a private vehicle from other cities or hire a taxi. Luxury buses and normal buses are available from Lucknow frequently.

By Rail: Kashi is very well connected to major cities and towns in India via the five railway stations i.e., Kashi Railway Station, Varanasi Junction (also called Varanasi Cantt), Varanasi City, Banaras Railway Station and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction. Tickets can be reserved up-to any one of these five stations.

By Air: Kashi is accessible by air through the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport at Babatpur near Kashi. Domestic and International flights are available from and to the airport. From there, you can take a prepaid taxi to reach the city centre.

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