For many spiritual seekers, visiting the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva is a lifelong dream—a journey that offers not just religious merit but deep inner peace. Inspired by this divine path, we decided to begin our Jyotirlinga Yatra, starting with one of the most sacred and powerful shrines: Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi.
To ensure our first leg was spiritually fulfilling and logistically smooth, we chose to travel with Mallikarjuna Travels from Bangalore, known for organizing well-managed pilgrimage tours across India. What followed was a deeply moving and meticulously planned spiritual journey—one that left us grateful and eager to continue visiting the remaining Jyotirlingas.
🌟 Why Start with Kashi Vishwanath?
Kashi is more than just a city—it's said to be older than time itself. Lord Shiva is believed to reside here eternally, and the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is revered as a gateway to liberation (moksha). According to ancient scriptures, death in Kashi is not an end, but a blessing, as Lord Shiva whispers the Taraka Mantra into the ears of the departing soul.
Starting our Jyotirlinga journey here felt not only auspicious but spiritually aligned with our inner calling.
🚌 Why Mallikarjuna Travels?
Choosing Mallikarjuna Travels was the best decision for this pilgrimage. Their team is experienced, especially in handling yatras for senior citizens. They provided:
- Services of a Tour Manager from Day 01 meeting point until the drop-off on the last day
- Round trip economy class airfare
- Hotel accommodation
- Pure vegetarian food (South Indian)
- On-site assistance at temples and rituals
- Local guides explaining the spiritual importance
- Complimentary Boat Ride at Varanasi Ganga River & Allahabad Sangam
🕉️ What is a Jyotirlinga?
One of the spiritual highlights was visiting a Jyotirlinga—a sacred representation of Lord Shiva. According to Hindu belief, there are 12 Jyotirlingas across India where Shiva appeared as a pillar of light. Visiting them is believed to bring salvation (moksha).
🌟 12 Jyotirlingas in India:
1. Somnath – Gujarat
2. Mallikarjuna – Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
3. Mahakaleshwar – Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
4. Omkareshwar – Madhya Pradesh
5. Kedarnath – Uttarakhand
6. Bhimashankar – Maharashtra
7. Kashi Vishwanath – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
8. Trimbakeshwar – Maharashtra
9. Vaidyanath – Jharkhand
10. Nageshwar – Gujarat
11. Rameshwaram – Tamil Nadu
12. Grishneshwar – Maharashtra
🪔 Day 1 – Bengaluru to Varanasi
✈️ The Journey Begins – 5:00 AM flight from Bengaluru
Our Kashi Yatra officially began before the sun came up. We caught an early morning flight from Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) to Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS), Varanasi. With a 5:00 AM departure, the airport was calm, and check-in was smooth as we had a tour manager all the time with us. The breakfast (packed south Indian menu) was provided at the Bengaluru airport by the travels.
We flew by Air India airlines and the journey took 2 hours 20 mins.
🛬 Landing in Varanasi
We landed around 7:20 AM. The airport was small but efficient, and within 15 minutes, we had our bags and were ready to go. We had our breakfast at the airport. The tour operator had arranged a vehicle, and the drive from the airport to the city gave us a first glimpse of life in Varanasi.
By 10 am, We had checked into Hotel Rameshwaram Vatika. It's a well-maintained hotel located quite close to the temples and ghats. We were offered with coffee and tea which was refreshing after the flight. After getting freshen up, we had lunch at the hotel prepared by tour caters. We kept the rest of the afternoon free to rest.
Around 4pm, we headed out in e-rickshaw towards Banaras Hindu University (BHU), very old university founded in 1916.
Then visited Birla temple (New Vishwanath Mandir) – BHU Varanasi, this majestic marble temple built by the Birla family over 35 years (1931–1966), replicates the original Kashi Vishwanath shrine and towers at around 77 m—the tallest temple tower globally.
Next destination was Kaudi Mata temple, According to legend, Goddess Kaudi—cursed by Annapurna to live among the lower castes—was later recognised as Vishwanatha’s elder sister, and is particularly worshipped by South Indian pilgrims who offer cowries for blessings.
Then towards Shree Durga Mata Mandir (Durga Kund Temple), Built in the 18th century by Rani Bhabani of Natore in north Indian Nagara style, this red-hued temple overlooks a sacred pond known as Durga Kund and is aided by legends of Durga appearing miraculously to protect Kashi from war.
On the same street, we visited Shri Satyanarayan Tulsi Manas Mandir. This white‑marble temple is inscribed with verses from the epic and features sculptures of Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshman.
Our first day concluded with the mesmerizing Ganga Aarti at Arsi Ghat, where the river shimmered under rows of lamps and rhythmic chants. We managed to get a spot fairly close to the front—(pro tip: arrive by 6 PM if you want a good view). The Aarti began around 6:45 PM, with priests in saffron robes chanting Vedic mantras, waving multi-tiered oil lamps in rhythm with the music and conch shells. The entire ghat lit up with divine energy. Watching the flames dance against the night sky, We felt an overwhelming sense of devotion and awe.
Post Aarti, We had dinner at hotel.
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