GYAN KUPOR WELL

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A possibly accessible, man-made sacred well, which is used as a sacrifice pit. ETYMOLOGY: Gyan Kupor (note 1) or Gyan Bapi (note 2), the Well of Knowledge. SITUATION: In Varanasi (Benares) and somehow -close- to the Vishwanath mandir (also: Temple of Vishveshwara = Shiva as Lord of the universe, the divine architect) or: Golden Temple, which lies across the road from its original site, the Aurangzeb Mosque (note 3). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use. 1848: Bishishar - Kumardil is … rendered sacred because Shiva, when stepping from the Himalaya to Ceylon, accidentally let a medicine-chest fall into it. The natives frequent it with little basins or baskets of rice, sugar, etc, dropping in a little of each while they mutter prayers (HOOKER, J D 1855, 1: 67). 1852: Leaving this … town house, we passed through a maze of narrow streets; and bobbing under low archways at the imminent peril of fracturing our skulls, we arrived at the Bisheshwan Temple, which was crowded with Hindoos worshipping th Lingum [lingam], representations of which met the eye in every direction. A well in the yard behind the temple was surrounded by worshippers of the god, who is supposed to have plunged down it and never to have come up again. If so, he must find the smell of decayed vegetation very oppressive, as garlands of flowers and handfuls of rice are continually being offered up, or rather down, to him (OLIPHANT 1852, chapter II). 1990: The faithful believe drinking its water leads to a higher spiritual plane, though they are prevented from doing so by both tradition and a strong security screen. The well is said to contain the Shiva lingam removed from the original temple and hidden to protect it from Aurangzeb. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the temple but can view it from upstairs in a house across the street. (LONELY PLANET, India 1990: 291; 1993: 405; 1997: 441; 1999: 470; 2003: 366; 2005: 389; LONELY PLANET, North India (2001: 456). 1998: Manfred Moser, Regensburg (1998 personal communiation) suggests the well was originally as a sacrifice pit. Lingum [lingam], representations of which met the eye in every direction. A well in the yard behind the temple was surrounded by worshippers of the god, who is supposed to have plunged down it and never to have come up again. If so, he must find the smell of decayed vegetation very oppressive, as garlands of flowers and handfuls of rice are continually being offered up, or rather down, to him (OLIPHANT 1852, chapter II). 1990: The faithful believe drinking its water leads to a higher spiritual plane, though they are prevented from doing so by both tradition and a strong security screen. The well is said to contain the Shiva lingam removed from the original temple and hidden to protect it from Aurangzeb. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the temple but can view it from upstairs in a house across the street. (LONELY PLANET, India 1990: 291; 1993: 405; 1997: 441; 1999: 470; 2003: 366; 2005: 389; LONELY PLANET, North India (2001: 456). 1998: Manfred Moser, Regensburg (1998 personal communiation) suggests the well was originally as a sacrifice pit.