Varanasi, also called Kashi and Banaras, stands on the west bank of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and is counted among the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world. For Shaivas it is the city of Shiva himself, and its main temple, Kashi Vishwanath, is the ninth entry in the traditional list of the twelve jyotirlingas. The name Vishwanath means “Lord of the Universe”, and Vishweshwara is a second form of it.
Where it is
The temple stands in a lane of the old city, a short way from the river and the ghats. Since 2021 a wide corridor connects it with the Ganga, replacing narrow lanes that earlier visitors will remember. The ghats themselves, with the morning boat rides and the evening river aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, are a large part of what pilgrims do in the city. Many also visit the Kal Bhairav temple, which tradition names as the city’s guardian, along with the Sankat Mochan and Annapurna shrines.
The legend
The Puranas, including the Skanda Purana with its section on Kashi, describe the city as the one place Shiva never leaves. In one account, Shiva and Parvati made it their home after he left Kailash, and the city is said to rest on his trident, so that it escapes the destruction at the end of an age. Another story, the one told for all twelve jyotirlingas, has Shiva appear in Kashi as a column of light that pierced the earth.
The idea at the heart of Kashi is moksha. The tradition says that Shiva whispers the Taraka mantra, the saving word, into the ear of those who die here, so that they are freed from the cycle of rebirth. This is a belief of the devout and not a claim we can test, and many families bring their dead to the river for last rites for this reason. Our page on antyeshti describes those rites as practised today. A hymn on this theme is the Kashi Panchakam, attributed to Adi Shankara.
The temple’s history
The history is long and has been set down in broad outline by historians. A temple to Shiva has stood in Varanasi for many centuries, and it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Records mention damage in the late twelfth century, and again in later centuries, with rebuilding in the sixteenth century in the reign of Akbar, under the patronage of Raja Man Singh and the scholar Narayana Bhatta, working with Todar Mal. In 1669 the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ordered the temple’s destruction and a mosque, the Gyanvapi Mosque, was built beside the site.
The present temple was built in 1780 by the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, next to the mosque. In 1835 Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab gave a large quantity of gold to cover the spire, which is why it is often called the Golden Temple of Kashi. There is a long-running legal dispute about the Gyanvapi site that is now before the courts. We do not take a side, and this page does not discuss it further, because the matter is not settled. Please read reliable news for the present position.
The temple is managed today by a trust set up under a state law of 1983, and the trust publishes its own information.
A pilgrim’s day in Kashi
A traditional day begins with a boat ride or walk along the ghats at dawn and a bath in the Ganga, followed by darshan at Kashi Vishwanath and then at Kal Bhairav. Many pilgrims also walk the Panchakroshi route that circles the city, in the old belief that it completes a visit. Allow time for the lanes, because the city rewards slow walking. Silk weaving, sweets and music are part of Varanasi too, and a visit to the Banaras Hindu University grounds, with its own Vishwanath temple, is a quiet change from the old city.
How to get there
- Airport: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, which is about an hour from the old city by road.
- Railway: Varanasi Junction, also called Varanasi Cantt, is the main station. Kashi and Banaras stations are also on the city’s lines.
- Road and river: the temple area is on narrow lanes, and vehicles are restricted close to it. Visitors usually walk the last part or take an auto-rickshaw to the nearest approved point.
The season
Winter, from the end of the rains to early spring, is the most comfortable time. Summer is very hot, and the monsoon raises the Ganga, sometimes covering the lower ghats. Maha Shivaratri and the Shravan month are the busiest periods, and the festival of lamps, Dev Deepawali, on the full Moon after Diwali, fills the ghats with lamps. Find dates on the Maha Shivaratri page.
Etiquette
Look after your belongings in crowded lanes, and be careful with anyone who offers to guide you for money: use the official counters of the trust for any booking. Dress modestly and follow the rules on what may be carried in, which are set by the trust and change. Timings, special darshan arrangements and fees are not quoted here. Please read the trust’s website.
At the ghats, treat the river with respect, and do not throw plastic or cloth into it. Offerings at the temple are usually Ganga water, bel leaves, flowers and milk. The Om Namah Shivaya mantra is chanted throughout the city.
Related pages
- The twelve jyotirlingas
- Kashi Panchakam
- Antyeshti: the last rites
- Lingashtakam
- Maha Shivaratri puja
- Pilgrimage guides
Frequently asked questions
↳ Why is Kashi so important to Shaivas?
The Puranas describe it as the city Shiva never leaves, and the tradition holds that he grants liberation to those who die there. It is a matter of faith, and many pilgrims come simply for darshan and a bath in the Ganga.
↳ When was the present temple built?
It was built in 1780 by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. Earlier temples on or near the site were destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries.
↳ What is the Kashi Vishwanath corridor?
It is a wide pedestrian path, opened in 2021, that links the temple with the Ganga and replaced many of the old lanes around it.
↳ Which airport and station are nearest?
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport and Varanasi Junction. From both, the old city is reached by road.
↳ Where can I check darshan rules?
On the temple trust's official website, which sets the timings, bookings and fees. We do not quote them here.