Leaning Siva Temple in Ganga

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Leaning Temple of Rateneshwar, Varanasi Also known as Matri-rin Mahadev or Kashi Karvat, Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple has to be one of the most photographed temples in the holy city of Banaras. An image of this temple is almost guaranteed to appear in any promotional materials about the ancient city, it is probably the most recognisable monument along the ghats for foreign visitors. The location of this temple is also a curious one. Rather than being built at a higher level and protected from the high flood waters of the Ganga during the monsoon season, it appears that the builders made a conscious decision to construct the temple in a location where for many months of the year it would be partially underwater.Today it would be all too easy to assume that the location of this temple and its leaning aspect is an anomaly, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise. Many paintings of the ghats from the early to mid 19th century depict leaning temples close to the Ganga, so it would appear that Ratneshwar Mahadev is now a lone survivor of this phenomenon. We also have documentary evidence of these leaning temples. The artist William Daniell writing in The Oriental Annual in 1834 observed : One of the most extraordinary objects to be witnessed at Benares and which is generally one of great curiosity to the stranger, is a pagoda standing in the river, there is nothing to connect it with the shore. The whole foundation is submerged, and two of the towers have declined so much out of the perpendicular as to form an acute angle with liquid plain beneath them….It has been surmised, and with probability, that this temple was originally erected upon the bank of the river, which then offered a firm and unsuspected foundation ..During the Winter and Spring months the water levels of the great Ganga are low enough to permit access without getting your feet wet. It's worth a quick exploration, there's some nice carvings that have remained in remarkably good condition considering the length of time this temple is submerged each year The claim is true. The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is situated at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi. The temple has developed a nine-degree slant. It is also referred to as Kashi Karvat (Kashi is the ancient name for Varanasi and karvat means leaning in Hindi). A Times Now report said that one of the beliefs held regarding the temple is that the ‘ghat' had collapsed and leaned backwards after not being able to withstand its weight. The temple supposedly stood straight before the 1860s. An Indian Travel Photography Blog, Kevin Standage, stated that the temple is famous for having a tilt of about nine degrees. Below are screenshots from the blog which shows the temple from varied angles:. The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple, also known as Matri-rin Mahadev or Kashi Karvat, is a well-known temple in the holy city of Varanasi. It is a popular tourist attraction and is often featured in promotional materials for the city. The temple's unique location is also of interest, as it was built partially underwater for many months of the year. Although this may seem unusual, there is evidence to suggest that this was not uncommon for temples along the Ganga in the 19th century. In fact, many paintings from the early to mid-19th century depict leaning temples close to the river. One such temple was described in detail by the artist William Daniell in The Oriental Annual in 1834. He observed that the temple was standing in the river without any connection to the shore, and two of its towers had declined so much out of the perpendicular that they formed an acute angle with the liquid plain beneath them. He surmised that the temple was originally erected on the riverbank when it offered a firm and unsuspected foundation. The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is situated at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, and has a nine-degree slant. It is believed that the ghat collapsed and leaned backwards after being unable to withstand the temple's weight.