Kashi Vishwanath Temple is a famous Shiva temple also known as the Golden temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located near the banks of the holy river Ganges in Kashi, the oldest city of India. It is a famous pilgrimage site and a symbol of spiritual energy and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. The temple has a wonderful blend of architecture and craftsmanship. The temple complex includes many smaller temples dedicated to other deities, the main deity is Vishwanath or Vishweshwara, "Lord of the Universe".
Mythological story: When Goddess Parvati was living in her father's house where she was not feeling well at all, then one day Goddess Parvati asked Lord Shiva to take her to his house, Lord Shiva accepted Goddess Parvati's request and brought her to Kashi and established himself here as Vishwanath-Jyotirlinga. It is said that this temple is the original place of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati. It is also believed that the city of Kashi rests on the trident of Lord Shiva.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir Rituals: The Aartis of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple are a special attraction, The Temple opens daily at 2:30 A.M. The Mangala Aarti is performed at 3 to 4 A.M. wherein the ticket holders are permitted to join. From 4 to 11 AM the temple remains open for general Darshan. From 11:30 to 12 AM MidDay Bhog Aarti is performed by the priests. Again from 12 Noon to 7 PM devotees are free to have Darshan of the Baba. Sapta Rishi Aarti is performed from 7 to 8:30 pm, according to folk beliefs, the Saptarishi Aarti which takes place in the evening, the Sapta Rishis themselves participate in this Aarti every evening. After which darshan is again possible up till 9:00 PM, when Shringar/Bhog Aarti starts. Shayan Aarti starts at 10:30 PM and the Temple closes at 11 PM.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Aarti Time Table
Mangala Aarti 3:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Bhog Aarti 11:15 AM – 12:20 PM
Saptarishi Aarti 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM
Shringar/Bhog Aarti 9:00 PM – 10:15 PM
Shayan Aarti 10:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Each Aarti has its own unique charm and significance, which attracts a large number of devotees who come to witness and participate in the divine rituals. For more information related to Aarti, Sugam Darshan and Rudrabhishek you can visit the official website of Kashi Vishwanath www.shrikashivishwanath.org.
Significance: Pilgrims believe that visiting this temple, having darshan of Baba Vishwanath and taking a dip in the Ganga washes away one's sins and liberates one from the cycle of birth and death. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped as Vishwanath. It is said - "Kashyam Marana Mukti" i.e. one gets salvation by leaving the body in Kashi. Lord Shiva himself liberates his devotees by giving the Tarak Mantra here. According to the scriptures, when a person dies, the ashes of the deceased are immersed in the Ganga here for salvation. This city is one of the Saptmokshadayini cities. Adi Shankaracharya, Saint Eknath, Goswami Tulsidas have all visited this temple to have darshan.
Jyotirlinga is a representation of the Nirguna or formless supreme reality, Jyotirlinga is the form where Shiva appeared as a fiery pillar of light, Jyotirlinga temples are located where Shiva appeared as a fiery pillar of light, each of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva is dedicated to different manifestations of Shiva.
History: Kashi is mentioned in the Rigveda, the oldest text in the world. It is also mentioned in the Puranas, scriptures, Mahabharata and Upanishads.
It is believed that the original structure of the temple was built by Emperor Vikramaditya. King Harishchandra of the Gahadwal dynasty renovated the temple in the 11th century. Throughout history, the temple faced many invasions. It was demolished and rebuilt several times by various rulers. According to historians, this magnificent temple was looted and demolished by Muhammad Ghori in 1194. It was rebuilt, but once again it was demolished by Sultan Mahmud Shah of Jaunpur in 1447. Again in 1585 AD, a grand temple was again built at this place by Pt. Narayan Bhatt with the help of Raja Todarmal. On 18 April 1669, Aurangzeb issued a decree and ordered the demolition of Kashi Vishwanath Temple. On the orders of Aurangzeb, the temple here was demolished and a Gyanvapi Mosque was built. On 2 September 1669, Aurangzeb was informed that the demolition of the temple was complete. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was the last Muslim ruler to demolish this temple and built the present Gyanvapi Mosque in place of the temple.
For the construction of Kashi Vishwanath temple, Kashi Naresh Maharaja Balwant Singh had freed Kashi from the control of the Nawab of Awadh by running the "Kashi Mukti Abhiyan". Kashi Naresh Maharaja Balwant Singh's main contribution was to the reconstruction of Sanatan culture in Kashi. The present temple was built in 1780 at a nearby place by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore with the help of the then Kashi Naresh Maharaja Chet Singh. Kashi Naresh Maharaja Chet Singh had provided security to all the Maratha soldiers and artisans, due to which the construction of Kashi Vishwanath temple was completed easily. The golden peak and dome of the temple were later built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835 with 1000 kg of pure gold. For centuries, the Kashi Vishwanath temple has been governed by the Kashi Nareshs, but in 1983, the Uttar Pradesh government took over the management of the temple from the then Kashi Naresh Maharaja Vibhuti Narayan Singh.
The temple underwent a significant transformation with the development of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Ganga Dwar, the entrance to the newly constructed corridor that connects the ghats of the Ganges to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. To solve the problem of congestion around the area, the temple has enhanced access and facilities, giving devotees a seamless experience. This entrance was constructed in 2019-2021 as a part of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor project.
Distance From
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport: 26km
Varanasi Junction: 4.5km
Nearest Ghat: Meer Ghat 400m
Dashashvamedh Ghat: 600m
Sri Kashi Vishwanath
