Vindu Madhava
Vishnu
About
From the Ghat— side climbing steep and narrow stairways, on a top floor of a house one encounters elaborate temple enshrining the black-faced Vishnu and a very small Lak–mi to his left, both stand under a silver dais. Describes the Kashi Khanda (33.148-151a) that He is the Lord of Lak–-mi. A man who bows to him with faith, will not stay in the abode of a womb. He never suffers from poverty. He is never assailed by ailments. Even Yama bows down to the devotee of Vindumadhava. He is the soul of the eternal breath assuming the form of primordial ‘sound’ and ‘centre’ in the cosmos. The unembodied great Brahman is this Vindumadhava. The original temple of Vindumadhava was built during the period (11st century), however since 1496 it was in ruins. in 1596 it was rebuilt by the patronage of the Maharaja of Amber, but in 1669 the temple was demolished by the order of fanatic Mughal king Aurangazeb and converted into a mosque. After about a hundred years of gap the main image of Vindumadhava has been reestablished in the upper storey of Lak–ma‡abala building that is now known as Vindumadhava temple. An inscription inside the temple door mentions this incidence. The medieval saint-poet Tulasi (1547-1623) passed his life near this site during 1580s and 1590s and composed his book of devotional song honoring Lord Rama, Vinayapatrika (cf. 61-63), which vividly describes the glory of this great temple. In the right-hand chamber is Panchagangeshvara, the lingam which is covered over with red copper, and stands in an octagonal marble vessel. in the right corner room, there are tiny 72 Shiva lingams, each with separate Na×di. The number 72 symbolise the cosmic integrity of Shiva, i.e. integration of eight directions and nine planets. in the narrow passage inside are lying many images of Shiva, Vishnu, goddesses and Hanuman. On the wall of main hall there are paintings of all the ten incarnations of Vishnu, viz. Fish (Matsya), Tortoise (Kurma), Boar (Varaha), Man-lion (Narasimha), Dwarf (Vamana), Parashurama, Rama, Buddha, and Kalki (the forthcoming one).