Amidst the chaos and sanctity of Varanasi — the spiritual heart of India — lies a temple so unique that even time seems to bow before it. While the ghats of Kashi brim with pilgrims and tourists seeking solace, very few notice the silent sentinel that leans ever so gracefully by the Manikarnika Ghat — the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple, also evocatively known as Kashi Karvat.
This name, Karvat, literally translates to "lean" in Hindi, and indeed, the temple leans strikingly backwards — a posture that has become both its identity and enigma. Despite being one of the most photographed temples in Varanasi, it remains cloaked in relative obscurity, rarely celebrated in the way it deserves. Unlike the globally famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, which inclines at about 4 degrees, the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple leans at a dramatic 9 degrees — a fact that stirs both architectural curiosity and mythological wonder.
Faith & folklore
Legends swirl around this mysterious temple like the mist on the Ganga. One tale that stands out — and captures the poetic essence of Indian spirituality — is of a devoted servant of Raja Man Singh. The story goes that he constructed the temple in honour of his mother, Ratna Bai. Upon completion, he proudly proclaimed that he had repaid his mother’s debt — a statement that, according to legend, provoked divine disapproval. The moment those words left his lips, the temple began to lean, as if the Earth itself whispered: "A mother’s debt can never be repaid."
This tale gave the temple its other evocative name — Matr-rin, or “Mother’s Debt” — a silent reminder, etched in stone and tilt, of the unmeasurable weight of maternal love.
Another story attributes the temple's origin to a servant of Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. Named Ratna Bai, the servant allegedly named the temple after herself — a move that angered the queen. It is said that Ahilya Bai cursed the temple to tilt, a symbolic reprimand that turned stone into a testament of pride and penance.
Adam Cohn
Drenched in devotion
What adds to the mystery of Ratneshwar Mahadev is that for most of the year, its sanctum sanctorum remains submerged beneath the sacred waters of the Ganga. During the monsoon and winter months, the garbhagriha — the heart of any temple — lies hidden, its rituals suspended or performed underwater, as was reportedly done by priests in the 19th century. Only in the high summer, when the river recedes, does the temple’s full structure emerge, leaning as ever, untouched by the world yet deeply touching its soul.
“It is more than a temple for us,” says Rajnath Tiwari, a boatman who has ferried pilgrims near Manikarnika Ghat for over three decades. “People from abroad come looking for the Leaning Tower in Italy, but few know that Banaras has a tower that leans even more — and with a story soaked in faith. This is not just about architecture, it is about belief, about emotion.”
Rajnath pauses as he points toward the partially submerged shikhara of the temple. “During monsoons, we row past it quietly. It is underwater, but we know it is there — like an old wise soul who chooses silence.”
Ramesh Kumar Singh, a senior journalist quips: “People who come here do not know about this temple. They scramble for Baba Vishwanath’s darshan or Sandhya Aarti at the ghats of River Ganga. They just walk past it not realising what marvel they have missed,” he said and added: “Even the local guides do not take pains to tell pilgrims about this Ratneshwar Mahadev temple,”.
Architectural enigma
Though shrouded in folklore, the temple also puzzles engineers and historians. Built in the classical Nagara style, it is exceptionally well-preserved despite its awkward posture and centuries of submersion. Some believe that the lean resulted from the gradual collapse of the ghat on which it stands, unable to bear the temple’s weight. Others argue that it began leaning only after the 1860s, though no conclusive record confirms this.
Curiously, the structure has survived Varanasi’s floods, silt, and the steady throb of humanity that surrounds it, holding its breath under the water and emerging every year as a timeless reminder of devotion, humility, and mystery.
Forgotten wonder
It is ironic that while tourists from across the world travel to marvel at Pisa’s tilt, most Indians are unaware of the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple — a marvel in their own spiritual heartland. Perhaps it is time we looked into our own backyard and rediscovered this silent wonder that leans not just in stone, but in meaning.
For in the end, whether it tilted due to love, pride, or curse, Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple leans to remind us of one eternal truth: some debts, especially those of love, are never truly repaid. They are simply lived — one prayer, one story, one generation at a time.
