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A Memorable Yatra

Sanjay Kabadmam’s absorbing narrative, enhanced by Gunjan Hosangadimam’s enchanting captures, will take you on a holy pilgrimage to our Varanasi Math and many ancient temples of this immortal city (July 2026)

HH Swamiji had desired that a team of SCM functionaries and a few guests visit Varanasi during end May 2026. Accordingly, the visit for the team and the guests was organised from 29th May to 1st June, 2026. The aim of the visit was to acquaint the SCM functionaries with our properties at Varanasi – namely, Shri Chitrapur Math Varanasi, the three temples located within the premises of our Varanasi Math, the Velankar Building (our Math property), and also have the darshan of Shri Kaalbhairav and Shri Kashi Vishwanath. An itinerary was drawn up to include these visits. The team comprised :

Shri Praveen Kadle Mam – President, Standing Committee SCM
Shri Kishore Kumble Mam- General Manager SCM
Shri Gunjan Hosangadi Mam – Vahivatdar SCM Varanasi
Shri Shailesh Burde Mam
Shri Mahesh Kaikini Mam
Shri Sanjay Kabad Mam
Shri Varun Mallapur Mam
Shri Chaitanya Shiroor Mam
The following guests were invited to Varanasi:
Maharaval Shri Jagmal Singh Ji of Banswara
Maharani Trishulini Kumari Ji of Banswara
Cdr. Sunil Kapasia
Shri Manoj Joshi Gaur (purohit of the royal family)
Shri Sushant Rana and family (Smt. Shambhavi Rana and Punyodaya)

All of us arrived at Varanasi by late evening of 29th May, 2026 (Friday) and were accommodated at the Shri Shringeri Math- Mahmoorganj, Varanasi. Gunjan Hosangadi, (Vahivatdar SCM Varanasi) along with Anil Khinjavadekar, (our architect and single point of contact at Varanasi) had made all the arrangements for our visit.

Kaalbhairav Temple visit
Our temple-visits commenced with Shri Kaalbhairav Temple early in the morning of 30th May (Saturday). Shri Kaalbhairav is the protector (Kotwal) of Varanasi. Shri Kaalbhairav is the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva. Tradition says that no one can reside in, or enter into Varanasi without his permission and devotees often seek his blessings before beginning their spiritual journey in Kashi.
This temple is located at Ghasi Tola, the heart of the old city of Kashi. It is always crowded and is in the middle of a narrow road adding to the chaos and disorder of the pilgrims visiting the temple. We therefore decided to have the darshan at 5.00am (the opening time of the temple).

Travelling by e-rickshaws is the most convenient way in Varanasi as they alone can manoeuvre through the narrow lanes. We hired 5 e- rickshaws and proceeded to the temple. As expected, there was already a big crowd of pilgrims waiting in queue to have darshan of Kaalbhairav.

A miracle happened here (blessings of our revered HH Swamiji) while we had joined the queue for darshan. The temple authorities opened the rear gate of the Temple and ushered us into the temple through the rear gate!!

We were therefore very fortunate to have a quick darshan of Shri Kaalbhairav. Four amongst us (Maharaval Ji, Maharani Ji, Manoj Joshi ji – their purohit and Praveen Kadle Mam) entered the Garbhagudi ( sanctum sanctorum) of Shri Kaalbhairav Temple and offered flowers and fruits. This was followed by a sumptuous breakfast of poori- sabzi and jalebi. Believe me, people of Varanasi are very fond of good food!!!

Post- breakfast, we visited our Shri Chitrapur Math Premises at Raja Ghat. Shri Anil Khinjavadekar (our architect and one-man contact at Varanasi) and Shri Srikant Pathak (our Purohit who performs daily poojas at the three temples located inside our Math Premises) joined us at the Math.

We were taken around our Math premises, the three temples located within the premises, our Math building and the Velankar building by Gunjan mam and Anil Khinjavadekar mam. These temples are of great importance to us as our Poorvaja Swamijis HH Pandurangashram Swamiji, HH Anandashram Swamiji and HH Parijnanashram Swamiji III performed Anushthans and meditated in these temples.
After the walk-around, we had a meeting to discuss and decide the pending issues related to infrastructure and upkeep of our premises. After the meeting we all came back to Shri Shringeri Math for lunch and some much- needed rest and recoup!!

Kashi Vishwanath Temple
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the most revered of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. It holds supreme significance as the "Abode of Lord Shiva," the ultimate destination for achieving moksha. Legend states that Kashi is the first Jyotirlinga to manifest and it sits upon Shiva's trident, remaining untouched even during cosmic dissolution.

Kashi Vishwanath is deeply intertwined with India's history. The original temple was repeatedly destroyed by invaders (including Aurangzeb in 1669), yet devotees preserved the site until it was rebuilt by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1780.

Shri Anil Khinjavadekar had organised a special darshan of Shri Kashi Vishwanath for all of us for the Shringar Aarati in the evening of 30th May itself. We left for the Temple at around 4.30 pm. There was a huge influx of devotees.We had to walk a considerable distance through the crowd to reach the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. We could make it to the temple by 5.30pm and enter the temple after completing all the formalities like submitting copies of Aadhar card, handing over mobile phones and other electronic items at the gate by 6pm.

Anil Khinjavadekar had deputed his man and had made all the arrangements for the special darshan. We were very fortunate to witness the Maha-Aarti performed with all of us seated just outside the Garbhagudi during the Aarti. It was a blissful experience.

On Sunday, 31st May, Varun Mam, Sanjay mam and Gunjan Mam left early for our Shri Chitrapur Math at Raja Ghat to take accurate measurements of our entire land property. Measurements were taken of every room of our Math and the Velankar Building using a laser beam instrument.

Sankatmochan Hanuman Temple
Meanwhile, the rest of us visited the Sankatmochan Hanuman Temple at around 9.30am. Soon,Varun Mam, Sanjay Mam and Gunjan Mam also joined us.

This temple is of great importance to us. Saint Tulsidas got the divine darshan of Hanumanji in this temple after which he authored Ramcharitmanas and the Hanuman Chalisa.

Boat ride to Ghats and Witnessing The Ganga Maha-Aarati
Gunjan Mam had hired a special boat for us to visit the Ghats and witness the Ganga Aarati. Assi Ghat was our starting point.

Our first halt was at the Tulsi Ghat where we had darshan of the Padukas of Saint Tulsidas and also the place where the Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa were composed.

Thereafter, on the way, we passed by the Manikarnika Ghat, Panchganga Ghat, Scindia Ghat, Jain Ghat and also saw our Shri Chitrapur Math and the Temples at Raja Ghat from the boat. We alighted at Ganesh Ghat and visited the Peshwa Ganesh Temple. It is located at a vantage point on the Ganesh Ghat.

Peshwa Ganesh
We then proceeded to Brahma Ghat and visited Kashi Math. Hectic preparations and modifications of the Math are in progress as HH Kashi Math Swamiji will perform Chaturmas vrata at this Math this year. We paid our respects to Bindumadhav, Sri Veda Vyasa and Sri Narasimha at the Kashi Math.

The Ganga Aarati was a grand spectacle of about 45 mins. We witnessed it comfortably from our boat.
With this our Varanasi visit came to an end.

All our guests left on 31st May. Dr. Dharamvir Jaiswal (husband of Pooja Jagdish Balse Pachi) came to see us in the evening. He had come from Mhau to Varanasi (about 120 Kms distance) on work. He dropped us at the Varanasi Airport on 01st Jun and also gave us a wholesome breakfast enroute!!

Our Sashtaang Pranaams to our revered Mathadhipati-HH Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji for giving us this golden opportunity of visiting Shri Chitrapur Math Varanasi, and also having darshan of all the sacred deities at so many historical temples of Varanasi.

GOLDEN MEMORIES