Shool Tankeshwar Temple, Varanasi

According to Kashi Khand, Chapter 69, the place where Lord Shiva wore the skin of Gajasur after slaying the latter, was called Rudra Vasam. (Kindly refer to Krithi Vaseshwar).

Once the Lord, in his form as Krithi Vaseshwar, was sitting alongwith Goddess Uma Devi when Nandi offered his

prayers and stated that there were 68 places of worship dedicated to Lord Shiva in this holy place.  Various idols/Shiv Lings have been brought from several other places by Nandi and installed in Kashi.

Near Prayag Teerth one can find Shool Tankeshwar Ling.  A devotee who takes bath religiously in Prayag Teerth and worships Shool Tankeshwar,  will attain the benefits equivalent to hundred times the benefits which would have accrued to him, had he taken bath in Prayag (Sangam – Allahabad).

Besides, the devotees will find all round happiness and will attain Moksha.

Here one point is worth mentioning. When river Ganga approached Kashi with a violent force, Lord Shiva threw his Trishul (Trident) hard into the ground, just before the entry point to the South of Kashi. By this action, Ganga had to slow down her force and she agreed to flow gently through Kashi and that she would always remain in Kashi, giving happiness to the residents thereat.  Scientifically speaking, the River Ganga is perennial in Kashi and at some points, even during the dry summer, the depth is over 130 feet.  Accordingly, people believe that Shool Tankeshwar temple is at a point almost 2 Kms. South of Assi.

But according to Kashi Khand, the place has been mentioned in the vicinity of Prayag Teerth, which is almost a part of Dasaswamedh