Kashi Vishwanath Temple decked with flowers, lights; ghats lit diyas

Varanasi |The Kashi Vishwanath Temple here was decorated with flowers, earthen lamps, and vibrant lights on Monday, the day of Diwali.

Homes, ghats and other temples were also decorated with an array of lamps and lights.

Chief Executive Officer of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, said the shrine has been decorated with a variety of colourful, fragrant flowers, lamps, and electric lights.

'Annakoot', a ritualistic offering, made up of around 14 quintals of sweets and 56 other delicacies, will be offered to Goddess Annapurna and Baba Vishwanath later in the evening. on the occasion of Diwali.

Shivam Agrahari of the Ganga Seva Nidhi, an NGO, said that for the past three months, due to floodwater submerging the steps of the ghat, the Ganga Aarti was being performed from the upper steps of the Dashaswamedh Ghat.

On Diwali, the silence at the ghat was broken by the sound of bells and chanting of mantras.

He said the ghats have been cleaned, and the Ganga Seva Nidhi and people of Kashi are lighting lamps to illuminate the ghats.

Mahant Surendra Tiwari of the Maa Kaalratri Temple said a special ritual invoking Maa Kaalratri was performed a night before.

Muslim women here performed an 'aarti' of Lord Ram.

Nazneen Ansari of the Muslim Women's Foundation said under the joint aegis of Muslim Women's Foundation and Vishal Bharat Sansthan, the Shri Ram Maha Aarti was organised at Subhash Bhavan in Lamhi.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple decked with flowers, lights; ghats lit diyas

Muslim women sang the Shri Ram Aarti, written in Urdu. Ansari said the aarti was a rebuttal to separatists, hate groups, and fundamentalists.

She said, "We have changed our religion, not our faith. The religion is Sanatan, and we Indians are all Sanatani Hindus. All Indians are united by our ancestors and traditions." On Sunday, more than 300 athletes and sports officials decorated the Parmanandpur Mini Stadium.

AK Singh, the vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh Handball Association, said players from handball, rugby, hockey, table tennis, judo and wushu created the words "Kheloge To Khiloge" and "Kashi" with diyas on the playing field.