Names & Legend
The Varanasi Shakti Peeth is known as Vishalakshi–Manikarnika, and some call it the Vishalakshi Manikarni Shakti Peeth. Here the Divine Mother is worshipped as Vishalakshi, “the goddess with large eyes”, and is also called Manikarni.
When Lord Vishnu divided Sati’s body with his Sudarshan Chakra as Lord Shiva carried it in grief, Sati’s earring (karna kundala) is believed to have fallen at Varanasi. Because the jewel of her earring was like a precious gem – mani – the sacred spot was named Manikarnika.
Location
The temple is at Mir Ghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, very close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Ganga. The Puranas say that Kashi is so sacred that it survives even the great dissolution (pralaya), resting on the trident of Lord Shiva. Pilgrims from all over the world can reach the temple easily.
The Goddess & Bhairava
The Goddess is worshipped as Maa Vishalakshi, and Lord Shiva as Bhairava is Kaal Bhairava, the fierce guardian and kotwal (protector) of Kashi, whose own temple is a short distance away. It is a tradition to visit Vishwanath, Vishalakshi and Kaal Bhairava together.
Devotees believe that anyone who comes to the Goddess with a sincere wish receives her blessing: childless couples are blessed with children, and unmarried girls soon find a good husband.
The Legend of Manikarnika
Another legend tells that Lord Vishnu dug a sacred pool with his discus at the beginning of creation and performed penance beside it. When Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati came to see him, Parvati’s jewelled earring fell into the pool, which became the Manikarnika Kund. Beside it is the Manikarnika Ghat, the most sacred cremation ground of Hinduism, where it is believed that Lord Shiva whispers the mantra of liberation into the ear of the dying.
Festivals & Worship
Navaratri is the main festival of the Goddess, and the Kajari Teej in the monsoon month of Bhadrapada is especially celebrated at the Vishalakshi temple. Varanasi’s great festivals – Maha Shivaratri, Dev Deepawali on Kartik Purnima, when the ghats glow with lakhs of lamps, and the daily Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat – make every visit memorable.
How to Reach & When to Visit
Varanasi Junction and Banaras stations have trains from across India, and Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport is about 25 km from the city. The temple is reached on foot through the lanes near the ghats, or by boat to Mir Ghat. The best time to visit is from October to March.