Sankat Mochan temple or monkey temple is worth a visit because it has an intense religious atmosphere. Moreover, the inhabitants of Varanasi consider this temple among the three most important temple of Varanasi, the cultural capital of India. The other two most revered temples are Kashi Vishwanath and the temple of Annapurna. Sankat Mochan temple is open to non-Hindus as well and therefore to foreigners. A large number of peaceful monkeys with their red backs play in the large courtyard of the temple. A large banyan with double trunk marks the initial location where the wise saint Tulsi Das set up an image of Lord Hanuman, chief of the army of the apes, ally of Rama. The murti (idol), very stylized, is now in the central temple, i.e, sanctum sanctorum. Vast chunk of Hindu faithful gather here daily but on Tuesday and Saturday, the congregation of the devotees swell to several thousand. In the cobbled courtyard, many devotees continue their devotions, some of them carrying their mala contained in a small bag fixed to the wrist. Others, in orange dhoti, sitting under a veranda, sing mantras with conviction. A second temple, opposite the first, is dedicated to Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. The current buildings date from the late 19th century. The walls and columns are largely constellated with vermilion marks.