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Har Har Mahadev

07 / 12 · Seventh Jyotirlinga

काशी विश्वनाथ

To die hereis to be free.

📍 Kashi Vishwanath · Varanasi, on the Ganga, Uttar Pradesh

Kashi is said to rest on the tip of Shiva's trident, untouched by the earth and unaffected by its dissolution. At its centre stands Vishwanath — Lord of All — and at the ear of the dying, Shiva himself is said to whisper the mantra of liberation.

Darshan & timings Read the legend

AmongThe Sapta Puri — seven moksha cities

GoldSpires plated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Present templeBuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar, 1780

Photo: Gannu03 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Checking…Timings Booking Before you go Reach Photos FAQ

Older than history, they say.Older than tradition.Older even than legend.

The legend

Why Shiva is here, and not somewhere else — as the Shiva Purana and local tradition tell it.

The city on the trident

When the universe dissolves, everything returns to water — everything except Kashi. Shiva holds it aloft on his trishul, above the flood. So the city is called Avimukta: never abandoned, never forsaken, not even by the end of the world.

The whisper at the end

It is said that Shiva speaks the Taraka mantra into the ear of anyone who dies within Kashi, and that this alone breaks the cycle of rebirth. It is why the old and the dying still come here to wait, and why the fires at Manikarnika have not gone out in living memory.

Torn down, carried on

The temple was demolished and rebuilt across centuries; the present structure was raised by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1780, and its gold spires plated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor, opened in 2021, cleared the crush of lanes and finally connected the shrine to the river it had always faced.

Among

The Sapta Puri — seven moksha cities

Gold

Spires plated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Present temple

Built by Ahilyabai Holkar, 1780

Corridor

Kashi Vishwanath Dham, opened 2021

Darshan

Timings & the daily aartis

Times shown in IST. The status above is live against the temple's published hours.

—

Now in India--:--

Daily darshan2:30 AM – 11:00 PM

One of the longest darshan days of any Indian temple. Darshan halts during each ticketed aarti. The Dham entry gates and free mobile-phone lockers open before the temple does.

Aarti & ritual schedule

3:00 AM – 4:00 AMMangala AartiWaking the Lord. Booked in advance, capacity strictly limited≈ ₹500
11:15 AM – 12:20 PMBhog Aarti≈ ₹180
7:00 PM – 8:15 PMSandhya / Saptarishi AartiSeven priests, one for each of the seven sages≈ ₹180
9:00 PM – 10:15 PMShringar / Bhog Aarti≈ ₹180
10:30 PM – 11:00 PMShayan AartiThe Lord is put to rest

ⓘTimings change on festival days, during Shravan and at short notice. Verified 13 August 2026 — confirm against the official temple portal before you travel.

Booking

Darshan, aarti & registration

What can be booked, what is free, and where the official channel actually is.

Sugam Darshan

A paid queue-less darshan, escorted by a shastri assistant — roughly ₹250 per person. Worth it on Mondays, through Shravan and on any festival day.

shrikashivishwanath.org ↗

Aarti booking

Mangala, Bhog, Saptarishi and Shringar aartis are all ticketed and must be booked ahead — Mangala especially. Book only on the official portal or the temple app.

Official booking ↗

Shravan slots

During Shravan the temple runs a separate booking calendar with blackout dates. Check the portal notice before planning a Shravan visit.

Shravan calendar ↗

Before you go

Dress code, rules & what it costs

Dress code

Men

Dhoti-kurta or ordinary trousers and shirt — Indian dress is not compulsory and western clothing is allowed. Shorts are not.

Women

Saree, salwar-kameez or kurti with leggings. Shoulders and knees covered. A dupatta for the head inside the sanctum is customary.

Not permitted inside

Mobile phones — mandatory deposit in the free lockersCamerasLeather itemsLarge bagsShorts and sleeveless tops

What it costs

General darshanFree
Sugam (VIP) darshan≈ ₹250
Mangala Aarti≈ ₹500
Bhog / Saptarishi / Shringar Aarti≈ ₹180 each
Maha Shivaratri Mangala AartiUp to ≈ ₹1,800

Practical advice

The best window for a quick darshan is 6–8 AM on a weekday that is not Monday: Mangala Aarti has ended, the pujas are live and the queue is at its shortest.
Avoid 11 AM–1 PM, the peak tourist rush.
Phones must go in the lockers. Carry a small pouch with cash and ID and nothing else.
Book only at shrikashivishwanath.org. No other website is authorised, whatever it claims.

Getting there

How to reach Kashi Vishwanath

Varanasi, on the Ganga, Uttar Pradesh — 25.3109°N, 83.0107°E

✈

By air

Lal Bahadur Shastri, Varanasi

~25 km

Direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Taxi to the Dham takes about an hour in traffic.

🚉

By rail

Varanasi Junction (BSB)

~4 km

Major junction on the Delhi–Kolkata line. Banaras (BSBS) and Mughalsarai / DDU (~18 km) also serve the city.

🚌

By road

By bus or car

Direct

Well connected to Lucknow (~300 km), Allahabad/Prayagraj (~120 km), Gaya (~250 km) and Patna (~250 km). The lanes near the Dham are pedestrian only — vehicles stop well short.

🗺️ Open in Google Maps ↗

When to come

Best time to visit

October to March is the season — cool mornings, clear evenings on the ghats. April to June is very hot. The monsoon raises the Ganga and can submerge the lower ghats, though the temple stays open throughout.

Maha ShivaratriFeb / MarThe city's largest night. Aarti tickets rise sharply and queues run for hours.
ShravanJul / AugKanwariyas arrive with Ganga water all month; Mondays are extreme.
Dev DeepawaliKartik Purnima, NovEvery ghat lit with lamps — the most beautiful evening in Varanasi.
Rangbhari EkadashiMarShiva and Parvati's gauna procession through the old city.

Around the shrine

What else is here

Dashashwamedh Ghat

~400 m

The Ganga Aarti at dusk — fire, bells and several thousand people, every single evening.

Annapurna Devi temple

Adjacent

Shiva's consort as the goddess who feeds. Traditionally visited alongside Vishwanath.

Kaal Bhairav temple

~2 km

The kotwal of Kashi. Older devotees say his permission comes before Vishwanath's darshan.

Sarnath

~10 km

Where the Buddha gave his first sermon. A completely different silence, half an hour away.

Photographs

Kashi Vishwanath in pictures

Freely-licensed photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Each is credited to its photographer.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Walkways and Projection-4 — Photo: Immanuelle · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Walkways and Projection-2 — Photo: Immanuelle · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

⚖Images are reused under their Creative Commons licences. Follow any photograph to its Commons page for the full licence terms.

Questions

What pilgrims ask

What are Kashi Vishwanath darshan timings?

The temple is open from about 2:30 AM to 11:00 PM daily, pausing during each ticketed aarti. Mangala Aarti begins at 3:00 AM.

Is Sugam Darshan worth the money?

On a quiet weekday morning, no — the general queue moves. On Mondays, in Shravan or on any festival, the roughly ₹250 saves hours.

Can I carry my phone inside?

No. Phones must be deposited in the free lockers at the Dham gates. This is enforced without exception.

How do I book Mangala Aarti?

Only on shrikashivishwanath.org or the official temple app, in advance. Capacity is small and it sells out, especially around Shivaratri when the price rises steeply.

What is the dress code?

Modest dress covering shoulders and knees. Traditional Indian clothing is customary but not compulsory; western clothing is permitted. Shorts are not.

What is the best time of day to visit?

6–8 AM on a weekday other than Monday. Mangala Aarti has finished, the temple is fully active and the queues are at their shortest.

Have you had darshan here?

Light a lamp for Kashi Vishwanath and it stays lit across the site — your progress towards all twelve is remembered on this device.

Page last updated 13 August 2026 · All twelve jyotirlingas