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Destinations Ditch Pisa's Leaning Tower. Visit The Leaning Temple of Varanasi, Instead!
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Ditch Pisa's Leaning Tower. Visit The Leaning Temple of Varanasi, Instead!

Landmarks like the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, also known as the Leaning Temple of Varanasi, charms travellers globally. Here's why.

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By: Priyanka Chakrabarti Published: Jan 25, 2021 04:41 PM IST

Ditch Pisa's Leaning Tower. Visit The Leaning Temple of Varanasi, Instead!

Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi is truly one of the most attractive cities in the world. After all, landmarks like the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, also known as the Leaning Temple of Varanasi, charms travellers from across the globe. Read on to know why. By Kumar Shree

Varanasi, the land blessed with the holy River Ganga and home to numerous temples, has a magnetic pull. Its enigma, mystery, mysticism, history, culture, and religious fervour that breathe life into the city’s serpentine bylanes are unmatchable. One such spectacle is the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple. 

 

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The Ratneshwar Mahadev temple goes by many different names such as the Matri-rin Mahadev, the Leaning Temple of Varanasi and Kashi Karvat. Although there isn’t substantial proof supporting any one construction story, each name has interesting tales to accompany. Legends suggest that an unnamed servant of Raja Man Singh built this temple for his mother Ratna Bai. Once the temple came into full shape, he proudly boasted that he had paid back his mother’s debt (Matri-rin) by building a temple in her name. It is believed that the temple started leaning back because of Ratna Bai’s curse on the construction, symbolising that no one can pay-off their mother’s debt. The other name, Kashi Karvat, highlights the temple’s tilt (karvat) to one side. History also notes that Queen Baiza Bai of Gwalior built this temple in the 19th Century.

Another noteworthy fact that makes the Leaning Temple of Varanasi so unique is that it leans at a greater angle than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. While Italy’s Pisa leans at an angle of nearly four degrees, the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple leans at about nine degrees. 

Since the temple sits in a low-lying area, the sanctum sanctorum and most of the construction remains submerged under River Ganga. Despite that, the temple remains fully intact, and in great shape. If you wish to visit Varanasi, plan it around summer to increase your chances of seeing the Leaning Temple of Varanasi in all its glory.

Related: Two Iconic Sweets Of Varanasi That’s Bound To Make Your Trip Worthwhile!

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