Kashi Vishwanath

काशी विश्वनाथ

Shiva · Vishwanath

Jyotirlinga

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh · Shaiva tradition

Kashi Vishwanath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, ninth in the enumerative shloka that fixes their order.

The story begins: “Prakriti and Purusha, newly brought into being, ask where they should perform penance.”

Read the story
Directions

At the gate

Darshan hours
  • 3:00 am – 11:00 pm · Temple open
  • 4:00 am – 11:00 am · Darshan (morning)
  • 12:20 pm – 7:00 pm · Darshan (afternoon)
  • 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm · Darshan (night)
Next aarti or puja (India time)
See the schedule below
What to wear
The trust states there is no dress code for darshan but advises devotees to wear decent clothes.
Phones and bags
Phones count as gadgets here. Electronic and non-electronic gadgets, including pens, are not allowed inside the temple premises.
Getting there
Train: Varanasi JunctionAir: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi

Not yet confirmed: entry for visitors of other faiths, walking distance. Ask at the temple office or enquiry counter — and if you know, tell us. hello@aalayakatha.com

Full visiting details

Sthala purana

The story of this place

Family note: this story includes violence or death.
Told in: The Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 22–23

The city on the trident

Prakriti and Purusha, newly brought into being, ask where they should perform penance. A voice from Shiva tells them to do it, and Shiva creates for them a city five kroshas across, in the firmament.

Vishnu performs penance there. His exertion produces streams of water that fill the void. A jewel falls from his ear, and the place where it falls becomes the sacred centre of Manikarnika. With water everywhere, the city floats, and Shiva holds it up on his trident. Vishnu sleeps there with Prakriti; at Shiva's command Brahma is born from the lotus of Vishnu's navel, and Brahma goes on to create the fourteen worlds within the cosmic egg.

Shiva then takes Kashika down from his trident and releases it into the world of mortals, so that beings bound by their actions have a way to reach him. He installs a linga there himself, named Avimukta. Because he holds the city on his trident, it survives the dissolution at the end of Brahma's day. The Purana explains the name Kashi by what the place does: it pulls out, or destroys, a person's actions.

Rudra asks Shiva to remain for the benefit of the worlds. The linga Avimukta, in tears, asks him to make Kashi his capital and save beings from worldly existence. Shiva stays. From then on, the chapter says, Kashi is the foremost sacred centre, because Shiva has come to it.

In the next chapter Parvati asks Shiva about the greatness of the two Avimuktas, Kashi and Vishveshvara. Shiva calls Varanasi his secret shrine and names its one special feature. Anyone who dies in the city — of any caste, age or stage of life, women in any condition, even insects, birds and plants — is liberated, and the liberation does not depend on knowledge, devotion, ritual, gifts or birth. Hence, he says, the place is called Avimukta. The sacred area runs five kroshas in each direction. Living there is not licence: those who sin within Avimukta suffer ten thousand years at the hands of Bhairava before they are released. Karma already bearing fruit must still be lived out, but bathing in the Ganga on arrival destroys the rest.

The account supplies the two names the linga carries, Avimukta and Vishveshvara, and the doctrine stated in Shiva's own words in the text: a person who dies in Kashi is freed from rebirth.

Where this account comes from

  • Purana: Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 22.8–40 (J. L. Shastri trans., 1950) wisdomlib.org
  • Purana: Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 23.3–53 (J. L. Shastri trans., 1950) wisdomlib.org

In one minute

Why Kashi Vishwanath matters

Each line says who it comes from and how settled it is. What the labels mean

  1. Kashi Vishwanath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, ninth in the enumerative shloka that fixes their order.

    2 sources for: Kashi Vishwanath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, ninth in the enumer
    • Hymn: Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅgāni, vv. 1–3 — the enumerative shloka beginning Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ ca greenmesg.org
    • Purana: Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 23 (J. L. Shastri trans., 1950) wisdomlib.org

  2. The Shiva Purana teaches that anyone who dies in Kashi is liberated, and gives this as the reason the place is called Avimukta.

    Source for: The Shiva Purana teaches that anyone who dies in Kashi is liberated, and gives t
    • Purana: Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 23.13–22, 23.53 (J. L. Shastri trans., 1950) wisdomlib.org

  3. The present temple was built in 1780 by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore, and two of its three domes are covered in gold given by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839.

    Source for: The present temple was built in 1780 by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore, an

  4. Since December 2021 a 400-metre corridor, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, has linked the temple to the bank of the Ganga.

    Source for: Since December 2021 a 400-metre corridor, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, has linked
    • Press: Scroll.in, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates first phase of Kashi Vishwanath corridor", 13 December 2021 scroll.in · seen 2026-10-09

Shilpa

When you visit, look for…

Nagara

The temple is described here as Nagara, but no architectural survey of the 1780 building has been found yet to confirm this. The trust's history page records the builder and the gilding of the domes but does not name a style.

  • Spire

    The gold-covered domes

    Two of the temple's three domes, covered in gold donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839. The third is uncovered; the trust says the state government is considering gilding it.

    1839

  • Detail

    The Naubatkhana

    The ceremonial drum house in front of the temple, built in 1785 by the Collector Mohd. Ibrahim Khan at the instance of Governor-General Warren Hastings.

    1785

  • Detail

    The Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor

    The 400-metre corridor opened in December 2021 that runs from the temple to the Ganga, part of an expansion of the complex from about 3,000 square feet to about 5 lakh square feet.

    2021

Yatra

Plan your visit

Darshan times

Temple open3:00 am – 11:00 pm
Darshan (morning)4:00 am – 11:00 am
Darshan (afternoon)12:20 pm – 7:00 pm
Darshan (night)8:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Mangala AartiReporting time 02:30 at Gate No. 1.3:00 am – 4:00 am
Bhog AartiThe trust's rituals page gives 11:30–12:00 instead.11:15 am – 12:20 pm
Sapta Rishi (Sandhya) Aarti7:00 pm – 8:15 pm
Shringar Aarti9:00 pm – 10:15 pm
Shayan Aarti10:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Confirm on the day. Times change on festival days and without notice.

Before you go

  • Dress: The trust states there is no dress code for darshan but advises devotees to wear decent clothes.
  • Camera: No photography
  • Electronic and non-electronic gadgets, including pens, are not allowed inside the temple premises.
  • Aarti bookings cannot be cancelled or rescheduled; booking fees are treated as donations and are non-refundable.
  • Entry to the temple is free.

Walking, steps and access

We have not yet confirmed how much walking or climbing is involved, or whether there is wheelchair access. If you are travelling with elders, ask at the temple office or the devasthanam enquiry counter before you set out.

Getting there

  • By air: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi
  • By train: Varanasi Junction
  • By road: Chaudhary Charan Singh Bus Stand, Varanasi

PIN 221001 (not yet checked with India Post)

Sevas

  • Sugam DarshanPer person. Includes a Shastri-guided visit near the sanctum, a prasad box and free locker use.₹300Book
  • Annadanam donationDonors receive free darshan.₹11,000Book
  • Mangala, Bhog, Sapta Rishi and Shringar Aarti bookingBook
  • RudrabhishekPrice not listed in the trust FAQ; milk is bought separately.Book

Prices as published by the temple when we checked. They change; the temple’s booking site is final.

The order of darshan

No published source gives the order in which to visit the shrines here, so we have not invented one. Follow the queue and the temple staff.

Festivals

  • Mahashivaratri

    Listed by the trust among the temple's major observances, alongside the monthly Shivaratri.

  • Rangbhari Ekadashi

    Listed by the trust among the temple's major observances.

  • Kartik month

    Kartika

    The trust lists the month of Kartik, together with Diwali, among the temple's major observances.

Itihasa

Through time

Two registers, kept apart on purpose: what the Puranas tell, and what the historical record shows. They answer different questions and we do not force them to agree.

In the Puranas and tradition

  1. Shiva sets Kashi down from his trident and installs Avimukta

    The Shiva Purana's account of the city's origin and of Shiva's decision to remain there. The chapter places it before creation and gives no yuga.

    Source for: Shiva sets Kashi down from his trident and installs Avimukta
    • Purana: Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 22.8–40 (J. L. Shastri trans., 1950) wisdomlib.org

In the historical record

  1. 1669

    Demolition of the earlier Vishwanath temple, as the ASI survey report presents it

    The Archaeological Survey of India's report on the Gyanvapi mosque, submitted to the Varanasi district court in December 2023 and made public on 25 January 2024, concludes that a large Hindu temple stood at the site before the mosque and appears to have been destroyed in the 17th century during Aurangzeb's reign. It cites the Maasir-i-Alamgiri for an order, dated 2 September 1669, to demolish the Vishwanath temple at Kashi, and an inscription dating the mosque to Aurangzeb's 20th regnal year (1676–77 CE). The 1669 date is the date of the order, not a confirmed date of demolition.

    Disagrees with: The mosque's origin, as stated by its managing committee

    Source for: Demolition of the earlier Vishwanath temple, as the ASI survey report presents i
    • Press: The Quint, "'A Large Hindu Temple Existed Before...': ASI Survey on Gyanvapi Mosque Case", 26 January 2024 thequint.com · seen 2026-10-09

  2. 1780

    Present temple built by Ahilya Bai Holkar

    The temple was rebuilt in its present form by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore.

    Source for: Present temple built by Ahilya Bai Holkar

  3. 1839

    Ranjit Singh's gold for the domes

    Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated gold to cover two of the temple's three domes.

    Source for: Ranjit Singh's gold for the domes

  4. 1983

    Government of Uttar Pradesh takes over the temple

    On 28 January 1983 the state government took over the temple. Management passed to a trust headed by Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, former Kashi Naresh, with an executive committee chaired by the Divisional Commissioner.

    Source for: Government of Uttar Pradesh takes over the temple

  5. 2021

    Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor inaugurated

    The first phase of the corridor, begun in 2019 and designed by the architect Bimal Patel, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13 December 2021. It links the temple to the Ganga over 400 metres; more than 300 properties were acquired for it.

    Source for: Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor inaugurated
    • Press: Scroll.in, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates first phase of Kashi Vishwanath corridor", 13 December 2021 scroll.in · seen 2026-10-09

  6. 2023

    Allahabad High Court holds the 1991 Gyanvapi suit maintainable

    On 19 December 2023 Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal dismissed five petitions by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, holding that a 1991 suit in a Varanasi court seeking restoration of a temple at the mosque site is maintainable and not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. The petitioners had argued that the Act bars altering the religious character of a place as it stood on 15 August 1947. The suit itself remains to be decided.

    Source for: Allahabad High Court holds the 1991 Gyanvapi suit maintainable
    • Press: The Week, "Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC rejects suits filed by Masjid Committee", 19 December 2023 theweek.in · seen 2026-10-09

  7. The mosque's origin, as stated by its managing committee

    Responding to the ASI report, S. M. Yasin, joint secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, said the mosque was built about 600 years ago by a zamindar of Jaunpur, renovated under Akbar and expanded under Aurangzeb. He called the 839-page document "a report and not a decision" and said the committee would consult experts before deciding its next legal step.

    Disagrees with: Demolition of the earlier Vishwanath temple, as the ASI survey report presents it

    Source for: The mosque's origin, as stated by its managing committee
    • Press: Business Today, "Gyanvapi mosque: ASI survey not the final one, will decide on next move, say Muslim petitioners", 27 January 2024 businesstoday.in · seen 2026-10-09

Around here

Worth the detour

  • Temple

    Kaal Bhairav Temple

    Shrine of Bhairava, described at the 2021 corridor inauguration as the "Kotwal of Kashi"; in the Shiva Purana it is Bhairava who punishes those who sin within Avimukta.

  • Ghat

    Manikarnika

    The sacred centre the Shiva Purana says formed where a jewel fell from Vishnu's ear during his penance in Kashi (Kotirudra Samhita 22.14).

Also in Varanasi district

Sources

Where this page comes from

  • Purana: Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 22–23 (J. L. Shastri trans., 1950) wisdomlib.org
  • Hymn: Dvādaśa Jyotirliṅgāni, vv. 1–3 — the enumerative shloka beginning Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ ca greenmesg.org
  • Temple administration: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, History shrikashivishwanath.org · seen 2026-10-09
  • Temple administration: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, Aarti timings shrikashivishwanath.org · seen 2026-10-09
  • Temple administration: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, Rituals shrikashivishwanath.org · seen 2026-10-09
  • Temple administration: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, FAQ (version 2.0) shrikashivishwanath.org · seen 2026-10-09
  • Press: Scroll.in, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates first phase of Kashi Vishwanath corridor", 13 December 2021 scroll.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Press: The Week, "Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC rejects suits filed by Masjid Committee", 19 December 2023 theweek.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Press: The Quint, "'A Large Hindu Temple Existed Before...': ASI Survey on Gyanvapi Mosque Case", 26 January 2024 thequint.com · seen 2026-10-09
  • Press: Business Today, "Gyanvapi mosque: ASI survey not the final one, will decide on next move, say Muslim petitioners", 27 January 2024 businesstoday.in · seen 2026-10-09

Cite this page

Aalaya Katha Foundation, “Kashi Vishwanath”, Aalaya Katha, version last reviewed 2026-10-09. https://www.aalayakatha.com/temple/kashi-vishwanath (accessed ).

Last reviewed 2026-10-09. How we label sources and confidence