The Leaning Temple of Varanasi

 By Aaditya Shukla

(Courtesy: wikipedia.org)

Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir (also known as Matri-rin Mahadev or Leaning Temple of Varanasi) is one of the most photographed temples in the holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India, near the Manikarnika Ghat.

The temple is elegantly constructed in the classical style with a nagara shikhara and phamsana mandapa. The site of the temple is very unusual. Unlike all other temples in Varanasi on the coast of Ganga. The temple is built at a very low level. The temple, while apparently well-preserved, leans significantly towards the north-west, and its garbhagriha is generally below the water much of the year, except for a few months during summer. In fact, the water level can reach the shikhara of the temple.

According to a popular legend, it was built by an unnamed servant of Raja Man Singh for his mother Ratna Bai about 500 years ago. After having built the temple, he proudly boasted that he had paid the debt to his mother (Matru-rin). However, since the debt to one’s mother can never be repaid, the temple started leaning. 

Reportedly, Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple has a greater tilt than Italy’s famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, built in 1173. Interestingly, the Leaning Tower of Pisa tilts at 4 degrees, compared to the 9 degree tilt of the temple. Standing at 74m, this temple is also significantly higher than the 57m high Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Yet, this Leaning Temple of Varanasi has been lost in anonymity in India. The most unfortunate thing is, I also could not visit this beautiful place when I was just minutes away from it. On December 11, 2017, on our way to Delhi for my aunt’s wedding, we had stopped at the holy city of Varanasi for two days - just to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which is the Jyotirlinga at Varanasi. 

Since we had arrived late in the evening and we had to leave for our destination the following afternoon, we only had a 20 hour gap to visit the numerous places there. With 19 members in our group (me and my family, my maternal grandfather, my uncles, and the families of my aunts....), it was impossible to settle down comfortably in the rundown hotel we had moved into in a hurry. We got ready fast, booked 5 Ubers and left for the temple. 

The city was brimming with temples and ghats and it was evident that this city was something special. Speeding at 50 kmph, we reached the temple complex in about half an hour. We left our shoes, cameras, mobiles etc. in a locker, which itself was quite a walk away from the temple. We walked, barefeet, through the tight, dark streets, pushing through the crowds.  Security is very tight. We had to wait for a long time in queues and were checked at least 3 times by security. Near the temple we could see the outside structure and golden roof. On entering the temple through its little old stone steps I could only think of the spiritual greats who had entered this very same place walking on these very steps, Shankara, Sankaracharyas, Gurus...anybody of spiritual importance who had walked over those steps! It felt very powerful and special. 

Once inside I only had time to present my offerings, receive them back and was then immediately grabbed by my shoulder and pushed out...to make space for the next pilgrim. - I would have liked to have a little bit more time to look around and savour the atmosphere, but due to the long queues it had to be quick. Nevertheless, I feel blessed that I had the chance to be there. 

Once we got our phones back from the locker, we clicked some photos (it is difficult to do so when every two minutes a security guard comes to you asking you to go away). Later, as we sped through the old streets of the old city on auto-rickshaws, we saw bodies being cremated and tons of sandalwood logs being loaded up on the Manikarnika Ghat, one of the oldest cremation ghats. The mighty river Ganga flowed peacefully by the ghat, another thing we had missed was the Ganga Aarti, which takes place at the time of sunset every day. Considering the severe winter, we decided it was best we do not take a dip in the holy river.  

We reached the hotel, ordered dinner, filled our stomachs and went straight to the beds…I was asleep even before my head hit the pillow! The next morning, all the men and boys headed for the Assi Ghat for a holy dip. Hiring an auto-rickshaw again, by the time we reached our destination, people were already taking dips and offering arghya to the Sun God. My father instructed me to steer clear from Nagasadhus, not because he had a prejudice, but because they are said to use sammohan Shakti, and I must admit my father did not have to try too hard to convince me! Sages, with their fore-heads smeared with chandan, a kamandal hanging from their elbows, with massive trishuls half-buried by their side and their bodies bedecked with threaded beads, sat in various asanas, some performing yoga. Bodies were also being cremated here, people were dropping old and dried flower offerings in the river and many were throwing dough balls in it for the fish. We returned to our rooms and started preparing for the train we had to take.

I missed it, but if you ever visit Kashi, along with relishing the exquisite temples, ghats and other sights and sounds, do visit the explicitly beautiful and intriguing Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir!