Travelogue: The Forgotten Shiva Lingam of Varanasi – Agnishwara

Shree Maa had a great inspiration to visit the temple of Agnishwara, the Lord of Agni, the Divine Fire. It is said that whoever worships Agnishwara will have no problems from fire or lightning.

Most of the residents of Varanasi we spoke to had never heard of Agnishwara. They were not sure that there was such a Shiva Lingam in the town. But, our devoted family members in Varansasi took the streets, inquiring from place to place, and finally they located this ancient, forgotten Shiva Lingam.

The temple of Agnishwara was located below the house of a Brahmin family. Though it was a temple, the construction was actually in the first floor of their home. Here, the pujaris perform daily puja to the Shiva Lingam and, as the temple is not advertised, they get very few visitors.

We arrived by mid-morning and, when we arrived, they opened the doors to let the group inside. It was a tiny temple, barely enough room for our group, but we all squeezed inside. Shree Maa and Swamiji performed a beautiful puja for Agnishwara.

After the puja, our beloved Swamiji made a quick exit to a location a few ghats away. He exited so quickly none of us could follow him. His inspiration took him back to the cremation grounds, where he had done so much sadhana years ago. Negotiating his way in as close as allowed, he chanted the Chandi, alone, but filled with the light of God.

On the way back, a devotee commented to Shree Maa that, now that She and Swamiji had worshiped Agnishwara, maybe this Shiva Lingam would, once again, become a place visited and worshiped by many devotees. Shree Maa smiled and agreed that she hoped it would be so.