Veni Madhav Temple is ranked as the main temple of Prayagraj as per the Matsya Purana, Padma Purana and Agni Purana. This shaligrama vigraha of Lord Vishnu is the presiding Deity of Prayagraj and He is present here as Lord Veni Madhav. Hence, it acquires the status as being the main amongst the dwadasha i.e., 12 temples of Lord Madhava. The temple is located in the Daraganj area, around one kilometer from the Triveni Sangam. This temple is also referred to as Beni Madhav Temple.
One does not get the complete benefit of taking a holy bath or dip in the Triveni Sangam without having the darshan of Lord Veni Madhav as per the Puranas and the Ramcharit Manas. The great devotee-saint Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had danced in ecstasy while performing sankirtana here after having darshan of Lord Veni Madhav.
The origin of Veni Madhav Temple
In the Treta yuga, the age in which Lord Ramachandra appeared, there was a fearsome rakshasa i.e., demon called Gajkarna. He created a lot of fear in the three worlds due to his atrocities on the inhabitants.
When the inhabitants understood that Gajkarna’s atrocities would not stop, they went to Lord Vishnu and humbly prayed for complete protection from the demon. Being compassionate upon His devotees, Lord Vishnu sent Narada Muni to meet Gajkarna in order to find a solution to the troubles facing His devotees.
Narada Muni reached the court of Gajkarna singing his glories. He explained the glories of taking a holy bath at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj to Gajkarna. Hearing this from the lotus mouth of Narada Muni, he set forth to the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj immediately. After taking a holy bath in the Sangam, all his problems and diseases went away soon.
Gajkarna thought that if he could get these blessings by taking a holy bath at the Sangam, he could fulfil all of his desires by taking the sacred rivers with him to his place. He drank the waters of the three sacred rivers completely. There was not even a drop of water remaining in the whole world. The inhabitants were crying for help. All the inhabitants including the Humans, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, etc, went to Lord Vishnu pleading before Him to save the Triveni Sangam.
Being Bhakta-Vatsala i.e., well-wisher of His devotees, Lord Vishnu immediately flew to Prayagraj on His personal carrier Garuda at a high speed. He fought with Gajkarna for three days beginning on Monday. On Thursday, Lord Vishnu severed the head of Gajkarna with His celebrated Sudarshana chakra i.e., disc. The waters of the Triveni Sangam came out of Gajkarna’s stomach after he fell dead.
As Lord Vishnu started to go back to His abode i.e., Vaikuntha, the personified form of Prayagraj appealed to the Lord to stay back in Prayagraj. He told Lord Vishnu that demons may attempt to take the Triveni Sangam away in the future the way Gajkarna did. So, it would be ideal if the Lord stayed back to protect the Triveni Sangam and this world.
The Lord listened to the humble appeal of Prayagraj personified and granted his wish. He announced that He would stay back in Prayagraj in the form of Veni Madhav. Lord Vishnu immediately expanded Himeslf into twelve forms and circled Triveni Sangam to protect it always. The chief amongst 12 Madhava forms, Lord Veni Madhav continues to protect Prayagraj and the Triveni Sangam to this day. Lord Vishnu also manifested Himself as Adi Veni Madhav in the divine waters where Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati meet.
Veni Madhav Temple Timings
The Veni Madhav Temple is open for devotees at the following time:
Morning darshan: 5 AM to 12 PM
Evening darshan: 4 PM to 10 PM
You can shop at the nearby stores for offerings to Lord Veni Madhav. You can also purchase the clothes offered and worn by Lord Veni Madhav in some stores.
How to reach Veni Madhav Temple
To be able to relish the darshan of Lord Veni Madhav is no ordinary thing. He resides in the very sacred dham of Prayagraj where Lord Brahma performed the first yagna i.e., sacrifice of this universe. He protects the dham and the Triveni Sangam too. So, true devotion is the price of reaching the temple of Lord Veni Madhav. Once you reach Prayagraj dham, your devotion will carry you right up to the door of Lord Veni Madhav.
If you wish to get the best spiritual experience traveling to Veni Madhav Temple, the Ayodhya-Kashi Yatra conducted by Tirtha Yatra is highly recommended, especially with their authentic narration of the lilas/pastimes.
With exclusive devotion to the holy dham and Lord Veni Madhav, you can use any of the following means to reach Veni Madhav temple:
- By Air – There are direct flights to Prayagraj from major cities in India.
- By Train – The ‘Prayagraj Junction’ station is well connected by trains from major cities in India and other small cites in Uttar Pradesh. It is the headquarters of North Central railway.
- By Road – National highways and State highways connect the city to other parts of the country. Inter-state bus services are available from the three bus stations of Prayagraj.
Veni Madhav Temple: The connection of a lifetime
As you take your steps one by one towards Lord Veni Madhav in Prayagraj following a holy bath in the Triveni Sangam, you can experience a close connection with the Lord. This divine connection is established with a deep sense of satisfaction once you have the darshan of the Lord’s lotus face. His divine charm shall keep you thinking of Him even when you are back at home from the pilgrimage.
A feeling that you are not satisfied with just one glance or darshan of Lord Veni Madhav, whose blessings can never be measured in numbers or any other units.
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