Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi

At the snow-capped Kailas, the Divine Lord Shiva was seated with Mother Parvati.

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SWAMI TATPURUSHANANDA

Their two sons Ganesha and Kartikeya were hungrily gazing at the delicious looking mango in their mother's hand. The Lord smiled at them and said, 'Whoever circumambulates the world first can have this prized fruit of Jnana.' In a trice, Kartikeya, the Chief Army Commander of the gods, mounted his vehicle, the peacock, and soon vanished from sight! But Ganesha thought for a while and then slowly went around his parents thrice and prostrated before them with great devotion. Highly pleased, Shiva asked Mother Parvati to give the fruit to Ganesha. Thus began the tradition of parikrama, circum ambulation. It is continued even today by devotees who sincerely go around the holy hills-Govardhana, Kailas, Arunachalam, or around the holy rivers like Narmada and Cauvery, or around holy cities like Vrindavan, Varanasi, and Ayodhya.

Keeping the holy place to their right, devotees make a clockwise trek as fulfillment of a vow or even as austere sadhana.

Panchakroshi Parikrama of Varanasi

Believed to have been started in the Tretayuga by Sri Rama and followed by the Pancha Pandavas in the Dwaparayuga, the Panchakro- shi Parikrama of Varanasi is a well-known pilgrimage. A temple located a little interior to Manikarnika ghat and lying in-between Manikarnikeswar and Atma Vireswar is called Panchakroshi Mandir. After worshipping at the five ancient Shivakshetras and five tirthas, holy places, mentioned in the Kashi Khanda of Skandapurana, pilgrims circumambulate the universal Lord Vishwanatha of Kashi; this is known as Panchakroshi Parikrama.