We all know about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the wonders of the world
The architects of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, located behind the Pisa Cathedral, did not want the building to lean. Yet the accidental tilt eventually launched the building into fame, even classifying the structure as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But most of us do not know that this is a more tilted structure in India than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
In India, in the holy city of Kashi or Varanasi, (which has more than 23000 temples), there is a Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple. Its tilt is greater (9 degrees) than Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa (4 degrees).
Although there was minor damage to some elements of the top structure due to lightning in 2015, it is still the same.
Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple near Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi is a unique temple in this city of temples. The temple leans heavily towards the back, and its garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) usually remains under water of the Ganges for most of the year, except for a few months during the summer.
There are many interesting legends behind its tilted nature. But the most famous legend is that it was built by a servant of Raja Man Singh for his mother, whose name was Ratna Bai.
Once the temple was built, the man proudly announced that he had repaid his mother's debt. As soon as he uttered these words, much to his shock, the temple began to tilt backwards (north-west), to show that the debt to one's mother can never be repaid.
This is the reason why it is also called Matri Rin (Mother's Debt) Temple.
--Kaushal Kishore
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