Kashi Vishwanath Temple
IMPRESSIVE
Benares was unlike anything we had seen so far, a different world in every way. Varanasi is like a big maze where you can see everything. Cows in stores, misery, sadhus, foul odours, people everywhere, pilgrims from around the world, filth, animals eating their own shit - everything you could imagine and more. It's a culture shock for Westerners that is terrifying, yet exciting and rewarding. I went wanting to visit the Kashi Vishwanath, although our guide was a bit reluctant to do so. However, we really insisted and finally the guide took us to the Golden Temple. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of Hinduism's holiest and whose domes are coated with 750 kilos of gold.
It's dedicated to Shiva, Lord of the universe. Our guide didn't want us to see it because it's sacred and it shares land with a mosque, so it's a point of contention between Hindus and Muslims. We entered, but without cameras, backpacks or anything. I don't have any photos of inside. It was packed with believers and heavily armed military men. Impressive.
