In this interview with Madhuresh Mishra, the president of the Utter Pradesh Community Association, UK, renowned journalist and photographer Vijay Rana talks about his book Kashi: the Abode of Shiva. It is a unique coffee-table book equipped with visuals narrating the story of the revered Kashi Vishwanath temple and Shiva and Parvati’s favourite city—one they blessed and vowed to protect as their own and the only city they call their home.
Many experienced photographers have visually documented Varanasi in the past. Interestingly, none of their publications had images of the city’s most revered attraction, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The simple reason is that photography inside the most prominent Hindu temples in India is prohibited. Kashi: The Abode of Shiva breaks the pattern. Through intensive fieldwork and exhaustive research, the author, in a first-of-a-kind endeavour, brings to the fore an unprecedented visual journey of one of the most important Hindu shrines—the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. In addition to documenting the temple’s ritualistic and festive activities, the book fosters a distinctive blend of stories that intertwine mythology with history, centring on the city’s presiding deity.
This contributes significantly to the vibrant celebration of the spirit of Kashi, enriching its ritual and sacred landscape.
