Bithoor - The documentary

...at the principle ghat of Bithoor the Brahmavart Ghat. The quiet and beautiful township of Bithoor is situated on the Kannauj Road, 27 Kms from Kanpur. Situated on the bank of the Ganges this temple is of considerable historical and religious importance. This is the main temple, Bramhmavart Ghat and there in, the 'Brahm Khoonti'. *(Khoonti = the piece of sandal that fits between toes) Lord Brahma meditated here for 99,000 times to create the first human couple, Manu and Satrupa. Manu and Satrupa who thereafter created their children as mankind. Lord Brahma had taken off his sandals here which went all the way down to the bottom of the earth. But the piece of the sandals that fits between the toes remained here itself. The English once in 1857 had tried to excavate the piece of the sandal but its end could not be found. Hence they closed down the excavated hole and named it "The Center of the world". It is known as Brahma-Khoonti in Bithoor. Behold the Brahma-Khoonti. This is called the center of the world. This the place where lord Brahma meditated for 99,000 times and created Manu and Satrupa. And when lord Bramha began to leave this place, his desciples asked him as to how this world would come to know that you're the creater of everything. Lord Brahma then put one of his sandals here, the one which hermits usually wear. The sandal then was absord by the core of the earth and the khoonti remained here. This only is known as Brahma-Khoonti and the people who pray here properly get their wishes fulfilled. This truth is undoubted. Bithoor is of historical and mythological importance. you can visit 58 defferent ghats here built by respective Kings of their times. A few of which are Brahmavart ghat, Seetaghat, Kaushalyaghat, Kaurav-Pandav ghat, Queen of Jhaansi ghat, Shivaji ghat, King Dhruv ghat, Lakshman ghat, Ram ghat etc. But the main and the most worshiped ghat is Brahmavart ghat. This was where the son of Raja Uttan Paat, the king Dhruv was born, Uttan Paat was one of the sons of Manu and Satrupa and the other one was Priyvrat who had left his home for meditation. Uttan Paat had two sons named Uttam and Dhruv respectively. Uttam was killed by daemons and Dhruv had this place as his capital. Indal was abducted from this place by the queen. Alha and Udal of Madhya Pradesh had their temple built here only. Nanasaahab Bajirav Peshwa, Azeemullah Khan, Tantyatope and the queen of Jhansi Mainavati Bai had taken an oath to free Subhash Basu who was captured in 1857. This was where great hermit Valmiki who was once a famous dacoit had received knowledge from the seven saints. And this was only where Valmiki had brought Sita and had called her the goddess of forest. Sita had given birth to two sons Lav and Kush. This was where the battle of lord Ram and his sons Lav Kush took place. The remains of their time are still there in Bithoor temples. This is the tunnel of the queen of Jhansi. In 1857, Bajirav Peshva had used this very tunnel to embrace the holy ganges once he was surrounded by the English army. It is said that the ganges then divided itself into two parts and gave a way to Nana Saahab and the army who followed him drowned thereafter in the river. This is the ghat of the minister of Lucknow, Tikait Raav. Tikait Raav, the minister from Lucknow established the statue of Mahakaaleshwar which is made of a very precious stone. The red stone which was used to build the statue was brought from Agra in a caravan. This is the ghat of the great hermit Jagdambi. Jagdambi used to baethe here, and this is the ghat of the great hermit Vishwamitra where he used to reside. The devotees of each of them had built ghats in the memory of their lords. For example, Saint Lakshmanadaas had built Bhardwaaj ghat in the memory of Bhardwaaj. This is Bhardwaaj ghat. And adjacent to Bramhavart, lies the mosque built by the Mogul king Aurangjeb. This mosque was initially a temple of lord Shiva. In 1857, Aurangjeb demolished the temple and converted it into the mosque. I rather find this mosque inappropriate amongst the temples. Although we practice "All Hindus and Muslims are brothers", but temples and mosques should have their separate places. No one should smirch anyone's gods. Hindus should not build temples beside any mosque, and Muslims too should not build mosques beside any temple. This is Lakshman ghat. The prayer of the ganges here is of great significance. The prayer is held in the evening at 6 pm. Brahmavart ghat and Ram ghat too have their prayers held for the Ganges. Three separate prayers are held for the Ganges in Bithoor.