Tulsidas & Sankatmochan Temple
Tulsidas; the great Indian poet is well renowned for his literary genius 'Ramcharitmanas' not in India alone but equally abroad as well. He was born in Rajapur, Chitrakoot in year 1532. His birth caused fear among his parents & was left with maid servant after four days of his birth. The maid looked after him for five & a half years after which she died & Tulsidas was left as an orphan.
After this he was taken by his Guru Narharidas a Vaishnava ascetic. Like any other student of his Guru he was given the diksha of Virakta sect.
One interesting event of his life comes at the juncture of youth after his marriage to Ratnavali. Once he was worshiping in temple, his wife left to her parents & when Tulsidas knew it he left immediately to her in night. He crossed swelled Yamuna & ascended the balcony of his wife by using a snake as a rope to meet her. His wife chided Tulsidas & said you seem to be a saint & a follower of Ram worship but just half of worship you do of my flesh body can yield more results. Hearing this Tulsidas left at once for Prayag & renounced the Grihatashram.
After renouncing Grihastasharam Tulsidas traveled a lot; all over India like Dwarka, Puri, Badrinath & Rameshwaram & many other places to discuss with saints & find the truth. He travelled to Mansarovar Lake as well currently in Tibet where he met Kak Bhushundi one of the four author a crow of Valmiki Ramayan.
After this he started to live in Varanasi permanently & initiated to recite Rama story for commoners. He used to visit near by forest in morning & to throw remaining water at an old tree. At that tree a Pret stayed who is always thirsty; with this daily supply of water he was pleased by Tulsidas & asked him for a boon, at this Tulsidas said I would like to see Rama.
The Pret told him that its beyond my strength but I can help you to locate Hanuman. He told when you recite story of Rama look for the person who come first & is last to leave.
Next morning when he was reciting story he noticed a leper was first to come & last to leave. He followed leper to the same forest near about Sankatmochana. He fell to the leper's feet & said I know who you are please don't forsake me.
After this Lord Hanuman came in his real form & told him that he can see Rama in Chitrakoot.
At last he got the Darshan of Lord Rama in Chitrakoot. Tulsidas made the figure of Hanuman in Sankatmochan area by mud. In this temple only he used to worship daily & wrote Hanuman Chalisa.
When he completed the Ramcharitramans the Pandits of Varanasi disrespected his work & to prove its worth they put the Ramcharitramans at the base of Four Vedas in Vishwanath temple in night and locked the door. The condition was if it will appear at the top in the morning it will be proved of worth.
The next morning when the doors opened Ramcharitramans was laying at the top of all the Vedas. Tulsidas died in 1632 at Assi Ghat in Varanasi.
-Siddharth Singh