Kashi Vishwanath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishwanath, one of the incarnations of Lord Shiva and he is regarded as the patron deity of Varanasi. The Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Temple at Varanasi has high religious significance and is the center of faith for millions of Hindus. The temple was visited by many great saints including Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, Goswami Tulsidas, Adi Shankaracharya and Gurunanak Dev.
- Distance (From Varanasi Junction): 5 Kms
- Commonly Visited From: Varanasi Junction
- Trip Duration (From Varanasi Junction, Including Travel): 1-2 Hours
- Transportation Options: Cab / Auto
- Travel Tips: Foreigners are not allowed into the temple & mosque.
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Timings: 4 AM to 11 PM
At a distance of 5 km from Varanasi Junction, Kashi Vishwanath Temple is an ancient Hindu temple situated on the banks of River Ganga in Varanasi city of Uttar Pradesh. Popularly known as Golden Temple, it is one of the twelve jyotirlinga temples and also one of the popular places of Pilgrimage in India.
Opening time of the temple is: 3:00 am
Aarti time:
Mangala Aarti : 3 AM- 4 AM (Morning)
Bhog Aarti : 11.15 AM to 12.20 PM (Day)
Sandhya Aarti : 7 PM to 8.15 PM (Evening)
Shringar Aarti : 9 PM to 10.15 PM (Night)
Shayan Aarti : 10.30 PM – 11 PM (Night)Best time to visit Kashi Vishwanath temple:
The temple will be at prime beauty throughout the year. Winter (October – March) has a pleasant climate which makes sightseeing easier. The rituals starts early by 3 am in the morning. The second ritual starts by 11:15 am. In the evening, rituals starts at 7 pm, 9 pm and 10:30 pm. The temple closes by 11 in the night.
Cost / Entry Fee:
There is no entrance fee to enter the temple. If you are planning to perform rituals under your name, you need to buy tickets for the same. Buying flowers for the deity from the shops near the temple is a common act. It is not compulsory to buy flowers. Giving donations to the priest or putting money in the hundi is not compulsory.
The history of the temple starts with a legendary story. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu got into an argument that broke into a fight about their supremacy. As a moderator, Lord Shiva took a form of light that pierced through three worlds. Shiva demanded them to find the tip of the light and the one who finds the tip of the light would be considered supreme. Vishnu took the form of a pig and dug down to find the tip and Lord Brahma rode up to find the tip. The place where Shiva’s light pierced through the earth are the 12 jyothirlingas and this temple is one among those.
The year of construction of the building is unknown. This temple has been mentioned in many ancient scripts and myths. In 2nd AD, the temple was destroyed by invaders and was again rebuilt by a Gujarathi merchant. In 15thcentury, the temple was destroyed and rebuilt during the reign of Akbar, in 16th century. Since Raja Man Singh, father-in-law of Akbar, built the temple. Hindus boycotted the temple as the King let a Muslim marry into his family. In 17th century, the temple was destroyed by Aurangazeb and a mosque was built in the spot. The remains of the ancient temple can be seen right behind the mosque.