Sant Ravidas Janmasthan Mandir

Getting there

• By air

  Several airlines fly into LBS airport at Babatpur, which serves Varanasi.

• By train

  Trains run into Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, and Varanasi Cantt is another railway station in the city.

• By road

  E-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and three-wheelers are readily available in Varanasi.

Why devotees come here

Sant Ravidas Janmasthan Mandir stands in Sir Govardhanpur, near Varanasi. It is believed to mark the birthplace of Sant Ravidas, the Bhakti poet-saint, and is the most revered shrine linked with him.

Ravidas, also spelled Raidas, was a mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement, active in the 15th and 16th centuries. The temple's formal name is Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir. It is believed to stand on the village where he was born, and it is the most revered shrine linked with him.

The foundation stone was laid on 14 June 1965, on Ashad Sankranti, at the birthplace. The temple was completed in 1994. It stands in the Seergoverdhan area, near Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. The temple holds more than 200 kg of gold, one reason it is called golden.

Inside are Ravidas's memorial, a prayer hall and a museum about his teachings. The temple is run by the Shri Guru Ravidas Janamsthal Charitable Trust. Ravidas Jayanti, the saint's birthday, brings large crowds to the town. Pilgrims come mainly from Punjab, Haryana and abroad. The district government calls the temple the second Golden Temple of Kashi.

Festivals

• Maghi PurnimaRavidas Jayanti

  The saint's birthday. A fair runs for several days before it, with pilgrims mainly from Punjab, Haryana and abroad.

Tips for your visit

• Agree the auto or taxi fare before you set off, as the district guidance advises.
• On festival days, devotees are served prasad at the temple's langar, its community kitchen.
• Festival days bring large crowds, so plan a quieter visit if you prefer fewer people.

Questions people ask