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Kashi Vishwanath live on TV
by Girish Kumar Dubey

     Varanasi: Devotees of Lord Shiva in Varanasi can now have the darshan of the Jyotirlinga at the world famous Kashi Vishwanath temple while sitting at home. Thanks to the local direct to home (DTH) service provider. Lord Shiva's Jyotirlinga is enshrined at this famous temple. The new facility commenced this past week (Thursday) after the Tata Sky, the local DTH service provider, had an arrangement with the temple authorities for its subscribers here. The company has paid an annual royalty of rupees 35 lakhs (3.5 million rupees). The latest option will save time and energy of the devotees who otherwise had to wait for hours in long queues, passing through various security check-points, to have Darshan (glimpse) of the main deity of Kashi Vishwanath temple from a distance. It will also enable devotees to have a close view of the deity. This facility, however, will be available only with Tata Sky enabled television sets.

     "This is a historic day for all of us. In the entire north India this is for the first time that devotees from any part of the world can see the pious 'Jyotirlinga' of Kashi Vishwanath Temple live on their TV sets," said Rajesh Tripathi, Religious Endowment Minister of Uttar Pradesh. "Of course, such a facility is available at Shirdi's Sai Baba temple and Sidhi Vinayak temple in Maharashtra. In south India, the temple of Shri Balaji at Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh also has this facility," Tripathi added. The daily telecast will include the coverage of daily rituals of the temple besides enabling an open view of the presiding deity. This facility, however, will be available only with Tata Sky enabled television sets. Devotees have hailed the new facility, as now onwards they will not have to be a part the huge crowd and hustle bustle, which used to defeat the whole meaning of worship that needs utmost serenity. "There is so much of a crowd and I don't have to go there. It is actually very comfortable. It is very good," said Abhishek Singh, a devotee.

     Prior to this telecast, Kashi Vishwanath was brought live to the devotees via internet but it was more of static visuals. That website had limited approach, as only computer literates could have access to it through internet. As against all these, Tata Sky has lent a far wider coverage, which in turn would mean devotees would be able to offer prayers from homes with 'live' deity in view. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is widely recognized as one of the most important places of worship in Hindu religion and most of the leading Hindu saints, including Adi Sankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sikh Guru Gurunanak Dev are known to have visited this temple. As per Hindu mythology, visiting Kashi Vishwanath temple and a bath in the river Ganga is believed to lead one on a path to Moksha (liberation). It is said that the merits earned by the darshan of other Jyotirlinga located in different parts of India accrue to devotee by a single visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
- Feb 3, 2008

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