Home / Temples / Tulsi Manas Mandir
Vishnu Temple · Literary landmarkThis marble temple marks the spot where the poet-saint Tulsidas is believed to have composed the Ramcharitmanas, his Awadhi retelling of the Ramayana that remains one of the most widely read religious texts in North India.
Built in white marble in a style quite different from the older stone temples of the city, the walls here are carved with verses from the Ramcharitmanas itself and scenes depicting episodes from the epic, which makes a slow walk around the interior worthwhile even if you don't read Awadhi or Hindi.
A mechanical diorama inside, with moving figures set to devotional music, runs at set intervals and is popular with families and children — it's a different, more modern kind of temple experience compared to most of Varanasi's older shrines.
Since it sits right beside Durga Kund Mandir, the two are almost always visited together, and both are a comfortable stop on the way to or from Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple nearby.
Late afternoon or early evening, when the diorama show runs
Durga Kund Mandir and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir, both close by
Families — the moving diorama is a hit with children
It's Tulsidas's retelling of the Ramayana in Awadhi, one of the most widely read devotional texts in North India, and this temple marks the site where he is believed to have written it.
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