Kashi, where Shiva is regarded as Kashi Viswanathan, Goddess Shakti is recognized as Annapurna, and Vishnu is renowned as Bindumadhav, is revered by Hindus all over the world as one of the most sacred cities. Kashi, a part of Kosala, is also known as Siddha Kshetra (The Field of Fulfillment), and it is here that the most formidable temples in the kingdom, dating back 200 years, were established by kings and queens from all over the country.
But today, I'm going to take you on a tour of one of the world's most intriguing temples. The Ratneshwar Shiva Temple. On the Cursed Manikarnika Ghat. This temple is partially immersed in Ganga and has a 9-degree lean, making it more impressive than the Italian marvel. The Temple's unexpected lean has a curious legend tied to it.
A long time ago there lived a young Rajput prince by the name of Man Singh. His mother Ratna Bai was known for her beauty all over the Rajputana. One day, Man Singh came to learn a shocking truth. He found his mother courting another man and claimed to be in love with him deeply. Betrayal towards family and illegitimate affair of his mother drove Man Singh insane.
He decided to eschew his relationship with his mother forever. So, as a part of Matri-Rin ( a concept to pay off mother's love as debt), he constructed a Shiva temple on the banks of Ganga at Kashi. When Ratna Bai came to know of this, she cursed the temple stating that nothing can pay off a mother's love for her child. And since then the temple was damned and remains submerged in water.
Slowly the temple started to lean and denied any forms of worship and prayers from the Bhakts and worshippers. Many kings and their kings-men tried to pull the temple back to its original erection, but none succeeded. News of death and destructions prevailed the entire century covering the tales of this mysterious temple and its renovation.
Although geologists provide a certain explanation of the origin of the lean, the question of why the Ratneswar Temple is the only one that has leaned while the rest of the militia has remained upright has never been solved. This temple has a second mystery attached to it. Ratner temple is situated directly on the bank of the river, unlike other Kashi temples, which are erected on raised platforms.
Is it possible that Man Singh erected this as a symbol of his lost trust in his mother, or is there some other grave and hidden reason for it? Is the temple's leaning actually a part of the curse, or is there some scientific explanation for it?
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