Ratneshwar: India’s Leaning Temple of Shiva

Ratneshwar is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located near Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, India. The temple is famous for having a tilt of about nine degrees, which is more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The temple is also known as Kashi Karvat, which means leaning in Hindi.

The temple was built by a servant of Raja Man Singh, who wanted to show his love and gratitude to his mother, Ratna Bai. He claimed that he had repaid his mother’s debt by building this temple. However, according to a legend, his mother was displeased with his arrogance and cursed the temple to lean forever.

The temple was originally straight, but it started to lean after the 1860s, due to the erosion of the river bank and the weight of the stones. The temple is often submerged in the water of the Ganges River, especially during the monsoon season. The temple is a unique and mysterious attraction in the holy city of Varanasi.