straight to the land of the ancestors. The orthoprax come to Va ̄ra ̄n.ası ̄ to
performs ́raddhaor memorial rituals for their deceased ancestors.
Quite apart from the golden temple of Vis ́vana ̄tha, there are numerous
other shrines, for example, to the goddesses Annapurna and Laks.mi,
believed able to bring wealth; to various manifestations of Vis.n.u; and to any
number of local folk deities, where priests are non-brahmans. At many of
these shrines the local deities are thought able to address specific problems,
for example, removing of obstacles (Sankatamochan or Sankata Mai) or
warding off evil spirits (Kal-bhaira or Pishamochan). Almost three-quarters
of the shrines of Va ̄ra ̄n.ası ̄ are of local significance, looked after by local
inhabitants; another 5 percent or so of the shrines are maintained by
particular ethnic groups – these include, for example, shrines to Amba and
Gopal, attractive to Guja ̄ratis, and Visalaks.i, popular with Tamilians.^8
Nonetheless, it is the classicized and pan-Hindu temples (about 6 percent
of the total) that attract pilgrims from afar.
Prof. L. P. Vidyarthi and his colleagues studied the makeup of the pilgrim
population to Bana ̄ras in a recent year. They found that over 50 percent
of all pilgrims came with their families (about 39 percent came alone); a
third of Va ̄ra ̄n.ası ̄’s pilgrims were brahmans and 76 percent held a college
or graduate degree (only 6 percent were illiterate); some 30 percent of these
traveling pilgrims had come more than six times; about a half of the pilgrims
did come from the nearest states – Bihar, Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
Many would stay in facilities run by those who spoke their own language,
or were members of their own sect.^9 While in Va ̄ra ̄n.ası ̄, in addition to visiting
the temple to Vis ́vana ̄tha and bathing in the Gan.ga, pilgrims would perform
a ̄ rati(the waving of lamps) and receive dars ́an(vision) of the deities of their
choice and perform vows (vratas). Some pilgrims will perform the last rites
of cremation and memorial (antyes.t.i pu ̄ja ̄).
While pilgrims will go to Va ̄ra ̄n.ası ̄ at virtually any time of the year, certain
occasions are deemed especially important. These days of national sig-
nificance include S ́ivara ̄tri (the night of S ́iva), falling on the fourteenth day
of the dark fortnight of February to March; this is said to be the day of S ́iva’s
marriage to Pa ̄rvatı ̄. Another such occasion is the full moon of Ka ̄rtikkai
(November to December) when the gods are said to descend to earth. In
addition, there will be special days associated with specific deities and local
shrines. Ambitious pilgrims will also perform the panˇcakosi parikra ̄ma– the
pilgrimage to the “five halting places.” These five centers are said to
represent the entire cosmos as they are thought to represent all the major
pilgrimage centers of India (e.g., Mathura ̄, Hardiwar, Ka ̄ñcı ̄puram, etc.).
Vais.n.avas who make this mini-pilgrimage believe the circumambulation to
be in the form of a conch, Vis.n.u’s special insignia.
Religion in Contemporary India 199