Varanasi Quotes

“Kashi Vishwanath Temple”

“Hindu temples in Varanasi”

“Wikipedia: Varanasi”

“The people of Benares had closed their gates, so orders were given for plundering the city.”

“In AH 410, Sultan Mahmud of Gahzni marched hither, and some disruptions in the old faith were effected”

“Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

“Making a pilgrimage there in Banaras every day for a whole year, still she did not reach all the sacred places. For in Banaras there is a sacred place at every step.”

“In Banaras, according to Ibn-ul-Asir, Shihabuddin’s slaughter of the Hindus was immense, “none was spared except women and children,” who were destined to be made slaves.”

“I think Banares is one of the most wonderful places I have ever seen. It has struck me that a Westerner feels in Banares very much as an Oriental must feel while he is planted down in the middle of London.”

“Hari who had been commissioned by Hara to protect Varanasi from the wicked Turuska warrior, as the only one who was able to protect the earth, was again born from him, his name being renowned as Govindapala.”

“The Muselmans apparently form but one-fifth of the population, and are not more numerous than the Brahmans alone; very few of them reside within the City, properly so called, which is almost exclusively Hindu.”

“Thousands of pilgrims who visit Mathura or walk past the site of Vishvanath temple and Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi everyday, are reminded of Mughal vandalism and disregard for Hindu sensitivities by Muslim rulers.”

““The chief temples destroyed by King Aurangzeb within his kingdom were the following: Maisa (? Mayapur), Matura (Mathura), Caxis (Kashi), Hajudia (Ajudhya), and an infinite number of others ; but, not to tire the reader, I do not append their names.””

“The Benares Gazetteer notes despondently, ‘The sacred city for a time dropped into comparative insignificance. Its pollution had been thoroughly accomplished, and probably the place was levelled with the ground. At all events, it ceases to figure in history for a long period.’”

“the Padma Purana states: ‘Beginning from Madhyameshwara, stretching as far as Dehali Vinayaka, move that string in all directions so as to form a circle. The supreme sacred land [kshetra] is what is inside the arc. The Vedas know it as Kashi. That place is famous for liberation.’”

“Many people think they cannot have knowledge or understanding of God without reading books. But hearing is better than reading, and seeing is better than hearing. Hearing about Benares is different from reading about it; but seeing Benares is different from either hearing or reading.”

“The army could only remain there from morning to mid-day prayer because of the peril. The markets of the drapers, perfumers, and jewellers, were plundered, but it was impossible to do more. The people of the army became rich, for they all carried off gold, silver, perfumes and jewels, and got back in safety.”

“O! Yoginis! Hasten to my city Varanasi where the king Divodasa rules the kingdom with adequate adherence to righteousness. O intelligent yoginis equipped with the power of yoga and maya, proceed in that manner which will make the king swerve from his duty and abandon Kashi. Quickly carry out such means as will enable me to go to Varanasi after renovating it.”

“It [Kashi] has survived in age a hundred lives of Bruhma [Brahma], each of whose days is equal to 4320 millions of years; it stands apart from the earth, supported upon the trisool or trident of Mahadeo [Shiva], never shaken by earthquakes; and the whole city was once of pure gold, but has since degenerated into stone and brick, along with the rapid deterioration of human virtue.”

“The period 1200–1550 ad was a dark one for the Hindu religion of India in general and of Benares in particular. Unfortunately, we have no Hindu sources of history to enable us to get a first-hand information of the feelings and activities of the Hindus of Benares, as a consequence of the systematic persecution to which they were subjected by a number of rulers during this period.”