Tucked away in the narrow lanes of Varanasi is a Shiva shrine so secretive that devotees never step inside its sanctum, they can only peer through a hole barely a foot wide to catch a glimpse of the deity. Located in Sheetla Gali in the Chowk area, this shrine remains off limits to visitors even through the entire holy month of Sawan.
Pita Maheshwar sits 40 feet below the ground
The Shivling here is installed roughly 40 feet beneath the surface, and locals know the deity as Pita Maheshwar. The glory of this site finds mention in the Kashi Khand section of the Skanda Purana. Legend holds that the divine radiance of Mahadev here is so intense that standing before him directly is no easy feat, which is why devotees get the rare fortune of entering the sanctum only twice out of 365 days a year, on Mahashivratri and Rangbhari Ekadashi.
A hidden temple barely a kilometre from Baba Vishwanath, tucked among houses
This concealed abode of Shiva lies just about a kilometre from the Baba Vishwanath temple, yet it is surrounded on all sides by ordinary homes where people go about their daily lives. Every day, the temple's priests perform the aarti and abhishek of Mahadev before stepping out of the sanctum. Only after that do ordinary devotees get their turn, viewing and worshipping Pita Maheshwar solely through that small hole.
Priest family calls it one of Kashi's self-manifested Shivlings
Ankit Mishra, associated with the temple's mahant family, says this miraculous Shivling of Pita Maheshwar is counted among the self-manifested, or swayambhu, Shivlings of Kashi, and that the shrine itself is quite ancient. He says anyone unfamiliar with this spot can walk right up to it and still end up searching for the Shivling, that is how unassuming its appearance is.
Established by Kartikeya, named after penance
According to mythology, this Shivling in Kashi, Mahadev's beloved city, was installed by his elder son, Lord Kartikeya. Kartikeya performed japa and penance at this very spot, and it was he who named the Shivling after his father, Maheshwar. This is also recorded in the Kashi Khand, lending further weight to the antiquity of the site.
Belief in freedom from pitru dosh
Religious belief holds that any devotee who worships Pita Maheshwar and offers jalabhishek with a sincere heart is freed from pitru dosh simply through the effect of this darshan. It is this faith that draws devotees through the narrow lanes to reach Mahadev's hidden abode.
How to reach Pita Maheshwar's hidden shrine
The temple of Pita Maheshwar stands in Sheetla Gali and can be reached by walking through the narrow lanes of Chowk. Alternatively, one can climb the steps of Sindhia Ghat, located just ahead of the Manikarnika cremation ground, and navigate the lanes from there to reach the hidden shrine. The route is winding enough that asking locals for directions is almost unavoidable.
Aarti performed both morning and night
According to the temple's priests, aarti is performed at Pita Maheshwar's shrine both in the morning and at night. Once the night aarti concludes, the doors to Baba's sanctum are closed. Devotees travelling to Kashi during the holy month of Sawan are advised not to miss darshan of Pita Maheshwar.
