Keshava and Vishnu
Adi Keshava Temple and Ghat
Rajghat · Ganga–Varuna confluence, A 37/51
History & traditions
The Varuna–Ganga confluence is the northern setting of the Adi Keshava story. In Kashi tradition, this is where Vishnu first enters the sacred city. The Gahadavala rulers patronised the confluence, and the ghat’s stone embankment was built under Maratha patronage in 1790. The survey records several additional Keshava and Vamana images within or outside the same temple precinct.
Deity & sacred image
- Deity or sacred figure
- Vishnu as Adi Keshava
- Idol or shrine image
- Several Keshava and Vamana images are recorded around the precinct. The official tourism guide also describes a four-faced Adi Keshava–Sangameshwar form that brings together Vishnu and Shiva.
PILGRIMAGE CONTEXT
Keshava and Vishnu
Keshava is a name of Vishnu. In the Kashi Khanda, Vishnu speaks to Agnibindu about forms associated with individual tirthas, beginning with Adi Keshava. Some modern survey entries identify a smaller image in a temple with a different main deity. Ask for the listed image as well as the host temple.