Varanasi Annapurna Temple: With Dhanteras, the year-long wait of the devotees in Varanasi for the darshan of Mother Annapurna ended. For this, a queue of devotees started forming outside the Mata’s court since Thursday. Devotees started queuing up at the barricading on the road outside the temple. Arrangements for breakfast and water were made by the temple for the devotees. The queue of devotees continued from Bansfatak to Godaulia on the other side and beyond gate number four of Vishwanath temple. On Friday, on Dhanteras, the darshan of the golden form of Mother Annapurna, who gave alms of food and money to Lord Shiva, started. From Dhanteras to Annakoot, the treasure of golden Annapurna will shower happiness and good fortune on the devotees. This time the temple management has made special arrangements for the five-day darshan of Swarnmayi Annapurna. Devotees coming to the temple are being taken out of the Ram temple through the temporary staircase built in the premises after having darshan of the Mata seated on the first floor.
In Varanasi, devotees will have darshan of Maa Annapurna for the first time for five days. Every time such an opportunity is available only four days in a year. On this, the devotees of Mother Annapurna are getting Prasad of lava and coins as the treasure of the Mother. Ever since the darshan of Mata started on Friday, the crowd of devotees is showing no sign of stopping. In the court of Mother Annapurna, the disabled and the elderly are being given direct entry into the court of Mother. Temple servants have been deployed for this. In view of the crowd of devotees, doctors have also been deployed in the temple premises.
The temple management has asked for coins worth more than five lakh rupees to distribute to the devotees. Mahant Shankar Puri said that more than five lakh coins, known as Khazana, and 11 quintals of lava have been ordered for distribution among devotees on Dhanteras. The worshiped treasure is given in the form of coins to every devotee who comes. There is no shortage of money and grains just by keeping this Prasad in the store of the house. A tableau of laddus will be decorated on 14th November, the day of Annakoot festival. There will be Maha Aarti of Mata at 11.30 pm. After this, the doors of Golden Annapurna will be closed for one year.
500 year old golden statues have been installed
According to tradition, the temple with the golden statue of Mother Annapurna opens for four days every year on the occasion of Dhanteras. The doors of the temple are closed after the Annakoot festival on the second day of Diwali. But, this time Annakoot Mahotsav will fall two days after Diwali. 500 years old golden idols are installed in the temple, which are present along with the idol of Mother Annapurna. Lord Shiva standing with a mortar in front of Mother Annapurna is in the posture of donating food. On the right side is the golden idol of Goddess Lakshmi and on the left side is the golden idol of Bhudevi.
Lord Shiva had asked for alms from Mother Annapurna in Kashi.
According to Mahant Shankar Puri of the temple, the priceless treasure of the temple is opened on the day of Dhanteras. Its importance is related to the mythological stories related to the temple. It is believed that once there was a famine in Kashi. Then Lord Shiva took alms from Mother Annapurna to fill the stomach of the people. Mother gave alms to Lord Shiva with a promise that no one will ever sleep hungry in Kashi. Everyone who comes to Kashi gets food only with the blessings of Mother Goddess.