Kritrivaseshwar Mahadev

There's a temple in Varanasi where the Shiva Linga still bears the scars of a sword — not from one invader, but two. Kritrivaseshwar Mahadev in Daranagar is one of those places that makes you stop and think about what survival really means for a sacred site. According to the Skanda Purana, this was once among the grandest temples in Kashi — second only to Kashi Vishwanath and Bindu Madhav. The legend goes that Lord Shiva was explaining the glory of another temple to Goddess Parvati when he heard cries for help. Gajasura — son of the demon Mahishasur — was wreaking havoc. Shiva hurled his trident, killed the demon, and when Gajasura begged for liberation, Shiva promised they'd be worshipped together as Kritrivaseshwar — one of the Panch Lingas of Kashi. The crater from that battle became Hans Tirath (now Har Tirath), a pond that still sits beside the temple.