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Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

VerifiedDocumented + legend
Deities
Vishwanath (Shiva)
Traditions
shaiva
Worship status
active
Address
Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Coordinates
25.3109, 83.0107
Darshan hours
Temple opens around 2:30-3:00 AM for Mangala Aarti (approx. 3:30 AM); general darshan continues through the day with Bhog Aarti around 12:00 PM, Saptarshi Aarti around 7:30 PM, and Shringar/Bhog Aarti (closing) around 11:00 PM; exact slot timings and special-darshan queues vary seasonally, so confirm the current schedule with the Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust before visiting.
Best time to visit
November to February for cooler weather; Maha Shivaratri (Feb/Mar) is the most significant festival.
How to reach
Varanasi has its own airport and is a major railway junction; the temple sits on the Ganga's western bank in the old city, in Vishwanath Gali, reachable by foot/cycle-rickshaw through narrow lanes, or via the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, a pedestrian corridor completed in 2021 connecting the temple directly to the Ganga's Lalita Ghat.
Festivals
Maha Shivaratri (February/March), Shravan Somwar (Mondays of Shravan) (July/August), Rangbhari Ekadashi (February/March (12 days after Maha Shivaratri)), Vasant Panchami (January/February)

Location

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One of the twelve Jyotirlingas (self-manifest lingas of light) of Shiva, Kashi Vishwanath stands on the bank of the Ganga in Varanasi, held in Shaiva tradition to be one of the most sacred sites in India and a place where Shiva is said to grant liberation (Kashi labh mukti). Earlier temples on the site were destroyed in 1194, 1490, and again in 1669 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb; the present structure was rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1780, and in 1835 Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab donated roughly a tonne of gold to plate its three domes, joined by a further 60 kg donated anonymously in February 2022. The temple’s spire rises about 15.5 metres, and the lingam itself, roughly 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference, stands on a silver altar within the sanctum.

In 2019 the Uttar Pradesh government launched the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project to link the temple directly to the Ganga’s ghats and ease pilgrim congestion; the corridor, inaugurated on 13 December 2021, relocated and compensated roughly 1,400 residents and businesses along the route, and construction uncovered more than 40 ancient temples that were subsequently restored. Beyond Maha Shivaratri, the temple’s calendar includes Rangbhari Ekadashi, marking Shiva’s return to Kashi twelve days after Shivaratri, and Vasant Panchami, observed with a tilak ceremony.

Sources

  • historical record: Temple rebuilding by Ahilyabai Holkar (1780) is well-documented history; the site's Jyotirlinga status is a matter of Shaiva scriptural tradition (Shiva Purana).
  • historical record: Cross-checked against Wikipedia's account of Kashi Vishwanath Temple during verification pass: confirms the 1780 Ahilyabai Holkar reconstruction and prior destructions (1194 under the Ghurids, rebuilding demolished in 1490 under Sikandar Lodi, and the 1669 demolition ordered by Aurangzeb, after which the adjacent Gyanvapi Mosque was built); confirms Maharaja Ranjit Singh's 1835 donation of roughly one tonne of gold to plate the temple's three domes.
  • historical record: Re-verified via a fresh fetch of the same Wikipedia article on 2026-09-23: sourced the four daily aarti timings (Mangala ~3:30 AM, Bhog ~12:00 PM, Saptarshi ~7:30 PM, Shringar ~11:00 PM), the address (Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi), the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project (launched 2019, inaugurated 13 December 2021, connecting the temple to the Ganga and uncovering over 40 ancient temples during construction, with about 1,400 residents/businesses relocated and compensated), architectural details (15.5 m spire, main lingam 60 cm tall/90 cm in circumference on a silver altar, an additional 60 kg of gold donated anonymously in February 2022 on top of Ranjit Singh's 1835 donation), and the festivals Rangbhari Ekadashi and Vasant Panchami.

For review

  • Exact daily darshan slot timings and queue arrangements (general vs. special/VIP darshan) are adjusted seasonally and around festivals by the temple trust; the aarti timings recorded here are the trust's standard schedule per Wikipedia, but should be confirmed directly before visiting.