Vishalakshi Temple is dedicated to the Vishalakshi Maa (means wide-eyed Devi) or the Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. Vishalakshi Temple is also known as the Vishalakshi Gauri Temple. It is a most famous Hindu temple located at the Meer Ghat on the bank of the holy River Gange in the Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Vishalakshi Temple is considered as a Shakti Pitha, the holiest temples devoted to the Hindu Divine Mother, Adi Shakti.

History of the Vishalakshi Temple

It is considered that the earrings or eyes of the Mata Sati have fallen in the Varanasi at this sacred spot. Kajali Tij, the most important Hindu festival for the Indian women, is celebrated at the Vishalakshi Temple very happily. This festival is held on the third day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada (August) during the fortnight.

Sati was the daughter of the Prajapati Daksha and She got married to Lord Shiva against Her father wishes. Once, Prajapati Daksha had organized a great yagya but he did not call his daughter and his son in law. Sati was very sorrow from Her father’s such behavior. She reached there but got insulted by Her father as he ignored the Sati. She could not bear the insult of his husband (Lord Shiva) and She had jumped into the fire of yagya and committed suicide. She died but Her dead body did not burn. Lord Shiva became angry and had taken His Virabhadra Rupa. He cut the head of Daksha but finally, He forgave him by reviving his life again. The heartbroken Lord Shiva had wandered in the universe by taking the Sati’s corpse. Finally, Lord Vishnu dissected the corpse of the Sati into 52 parts by His Chakra. Each of the body parts became Shakti Pitha. At the place where body piece had fallen on the earth had changed into the temple. Lord Shiva had created 52 Bhairava for each Shakti Pitha as a guardian to secure the Shakti Pitha. It is considered that Her eyes or earrings had fallen in the Varanasi that’s why the temple in Varanasi called as the Vishalakshi Temple.