A divine encounter with Kalabhairava

Varanasi is a city of temples, ghats, and mysteries. It is also a city of Kalabhairava, the fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva, who guards the sacred land and its people. I had heard many stories about him but never expected to meet him in person.
It was a hot summer day when I visited Varanasi with my sister. We saw the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple, the Ganga Aarti, and the burning ghats. We were tired and thirsty, but our driver insisted we visit the Kalabhairava temple. He said that it was a must-see for anyone who came to Varanasi.
“Kalabhairava is the kotwal of Kashi,” he explained. “He is the one who grants permission to enter and leave the city. He is also the one who punishes the sinners and protects the devotees. You should seek his blessings for a good life and a peaceful death.”
My sister was intrigued by his words and agreed to go to the temple. I was reluctant but wanted to please her and our driver. So we followed him to a narrow lane where he parked his car and asked us to walk ahead.
The lane was busy with people, shops, and animals. We saw vendors selling flowers, fruits, sweets, and souvenirs and pilgrims wearing colourful clothes and carrying offerings. We saw cows and dogs roaming freely. We also saw beggars, sadhus, and astrologers sitting on the roadside watching the passersby.
The heat was unbearable, but some kind-hearted locals offered us free water and buttermilk. We also saw some tea stalls serving hot tea in clay cups. I wondered how anyone could drink tea in such weather.
We walked for about 15 minutes until we reached the temple entrance. There was a long queue of people waiting to get in. I looked around and saw no sign of an end to the line.
“How long will it take?” I asked a policeman who was regulating the crowd.
“Maybe one or two hours,” he said casually.
I felt like giving up. I did not have the patience or the energy to stand in the line for so long. I told my sister that I wanted to go back.
She looked disappointed but understood my situation. She wanted me to wait and said she would join me soon after having a quick darshan of Kalabhairava.
I turned around and started walking back. Our driver saw me and came running towards me.
“Sir, where are you going?” he asked.
“I can’t wait in this line,” I said. “It’s too hot and too crowded.”
“No problem, sir,” he said with a smile. “I know a shortcut. Come with me.”
He took me by the hand and led me through the crowd. He took me through narrow, even more, crowded lanes than the main road. He greeted some people on the way and whispered something in their ears. They nodded and let us pass.
We passed by some men wearing saffron robes and rudraksha beads. They had ash smeared on their bodies and vermillion on their foreheads. They looked like devotees of Kalabhairava. We also passed by some women with children who stared at us curiously. They looked like locals who lived near the temple.
After about 30 minutes of demanding walking, we reached the temple’s back door. A policewoman was standing there who stopped us from entering.
“Sorry, sir,” she said politely. “This is not for public entry. You have to go through the front gate.”
Our driver whispered something in her ear and slipped some money into her hand. She smiled and let us in.
I felt guilty for bribing our way into the temple but did not say anything. We followed our driver inside.
The temple was huge and magnificent. It had a large courtyard with a platform with Kalabhairava’s idol. The icon was made of black stone and had eight arms holding various weapons. He had a garland of skulls around his neck and a dog as his mount. He looked fierce and powerful.
Thousands of people were on the platform, pushing and shoving each other to glimpse Kalabhairava. They chanted his name and offered flowers, fruits, sweets, and liquor.
I felt overwhelmed by the chaos and noise. I decided to stay on the ground and watch from a distance.
My sister was more adventurous. She joined the crowd and made her way to the idol. She managed to get a darshan of his face. She felt a surge of energy and joy in her heart. She felt that Kalabhairava had blessed her.
Our driver led us to a priest who was sitting nearby. He had a small altar with some idols, pictures, and lamps. He recited some Sanskrit verses and tied a black thread on our wrists. He said it was a protection from evil and a symbol of Kalabhairava’s grace.
He asked us to keep the threads as long as possible and said we were free of all our sins. He charged us 500 rupees for his service.
We thanked him and left the temple. We felt a sense of relief and satisfaction.
The driver stressed that Kalabhairava was not just a myth or a legend. He was a living reality and gave us a divine encounter we would never forget.
The End 🙏