A Competitor Of Leaning Tower Of Pisa- The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple

BY- JAYA CHOUDHARY

One may have heard of Pisa's Leaning Tower, which is well-known around the world and has aroused the public's interest. This historical landmark has captivated spectators for decades owing to its structure, architecture, design, and other features. Have you seen the leaning temple of Banaras, though? Yes, the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple in Uttar Pradesh has gotten the deserved attention of the internet after a person posted a photo of it on Twitter, comparing it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This temple is 9 degrees leaning and higher than the Tower of Pisa. Furthermore, the Tower of Pisa is so well-known, whereas this magnificent Hindu temple is not even listed as a tourist attraction.

A nagara shikhara and phamsana mandapa adorn the temple's design. Mandapa is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rites in terms of architecture. The temple is erected at a low level, which is a fairly unusual combination. Surprisingly, the water level can approach the temple's shikhara area. Because the creator anticipated that the garbhagriha would be submerged most of the time, it was built at a very low elevation. Despite the fact that this temple is submerged, it is nonetheless conserved and appreciated. But the question is how did the temple get the tilt?

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This backstory behind its bent nature is extremely intriguing. There is a tale about the origins of this temple, which claims that it was erected for Raja Man Singh's mother, Ratna Bai, by a particular servant of Raja Man Singh. When the temple was finished, the guy proudly proclaimed that he had paid his mother's obligation. To his surprise, as soon as these words left his lips, the temple began to tilt rearward (northwest), indicating that the debt owed to one's mother can never be paid. The sanctum sanctorum of this shrine is submerged in Ganga water for the majority of the year. Other stories indicate that it was built by the Queen of Gwalior or the Amethi royal dynasty.

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Another widely held theory is that the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple ghat crumbled and tilted backward due to its inability to support its weight. However, prior to the 1860s, the temple was thought to have stood straight, and no evidence of 'leaning' was discovered. This architectural wonder is primarily apparent in Ratneshwar Mahadev and is distinctively different from other temples, according to certain pieces of evidence and paintings of the ghats from the early to the mid-19th century.

Despite being one of the most photographed temples in the holy city of Varanasi, it is no longer regarded as a tourist attraction. The Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, which is rich and diversified in its approach, should be properly preserved without compromising its originality. As a result, the spectators' respect and awe for Banaras' leaning tower with its unique qualities will continue to grow.