Durgakund Temple

Located in Bhelupur, Varanasi, the city of temples, is an amazing temple of Goddess Durga, also known as Durgakund. It finds mention in the Kashi Khanda as well. This red stone temple has a unique identity and is one of the prominent places to visit in Varanasi. Although Goddess Durga herself appeared here, there is no idol of the goddess in the temple.

This temple of Goddess Durga in Varanasi dates back to ancient times. It was built in the 18th century, in 1760, by a Bengali queen named Bhavani. The construction of the temple cost 50,000 rupees at that time. The temple houses the presence of Goddess Durga as the Adishakti, represented in the form of a yantra. According to the story of Durga Mandir, after slaying Shumbha and Nishumbha, Maa Durga rested here.

This temple, built in the 18th century, showcases the Nagara style of architecture. To match the color of the central symbol of power and the goddess, it is painted in red using geru (a reddish-brown pigment). The temple is adorned with several interconnected smaller spires. On one side of the Durga Mandir, there is a rectangular pond that enhances the beauty of the temple complex. The idols of Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Kali are present on the temple premises, but there is no idol of Mother Durga. Instead, the worship is performed to the yantra of Goddess Durga.

This temple of Goddess Durga in Varanasi is constructed based on the design of a 20-edged polygon, which makes it unique. During the occasion of Nag Panchami, the image of Lord Vishnu lying on a serpent is depicted in the kund (pond). After the darshan and worship of the goddess in the Durgakund Temple, the pujari also receives worship. According to a story, once King Subahu of Kashi announced a swayamvara. The princess had a dream where she saw herself getting married to Prince Sudarshan. She shared this with her father, but when the kings and princes present in the swayamvara heard about it, they became jealous and called for war. Before the battle, Sudarshan worshipped Goddess Bhagwati and sought her blessings. During the battle, Goddess Bhagwati killed all the adversaries of Sudarshan, resulting in the formation of a pond of blood, which came to be known as Durgakund.

At the Durgakund Temple in Varanasi, a colorful chunni is offered to the goddess, and Malpuas are offered as prasad. Offering colorful chunnis and clothes to young girls is believed to bring an increase in wealth and prosperity.