Lord Shiva · Uttar Pradesh
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, standing beside the Ganga in the city Hindus hold to be the oldest living place on earth. Kashi Vishwanath enshrines Shiva as Vishwanath, the Lord of the Universe, on the western bank of the Ganga in Varanasi. As one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, it is among the most sacred destinations in the Shaiva tradition. Pilgrims come to bathe in the river and offer worship in the same breath, seeking liberation in the city said to grant it.
The route inside Varanasi.
The visit4 min read→Its founding — An ancient shrine destroyed and rebuilt many times; the present temple was raised in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore.
Going there, and what the town asks of you
2 days suggestedHow long to stay is our suggestion, not a temple-published figure. No shrine publishes a length of visit — group the stops to suit your own party.
First — the Ganga, the corridor, the Jyotirlinga
- Dashashwamedh Ghat
Come at first light. Kashi custom puts the bath before the darshan. This is the best known of the city's bathing ghats, and the one the evening Ganga Aarti is held at.
Where — on the riverfront. - Vishwanath Corridor
The wide paved approach built to join the riverfront to the temple. It replaced the lanes pilgrims used to squeeze through, and it is the approach from the river side; the gates on the Godowlia side are the other main way in.
Where — the corridor has its own ghat gate, north along the riverfront from Dashashwamedh — walk up to it rather than straight up from where you bathed. - Kashi Vishwanath
Darshan of the Jyotirlinga — Shiva as Vishwanath, Lord of the Universe. There is a general queue and a quicker booked one; which is running on your day, and what it costs, is on the temple's own site, and only there.
Where — at the head of the corridor. - Annapurna Temple
Annapurna is Parvati as the goddess who feeds. Kashi holds that no one in her city goes hungry, and pilgrims pair her darshan with Vishwanath's.
Where — beside the Vishwanath temple. - Kaal Bhairav
The kotwal — the guardian of Kashi, and a shrine pilgrims include in a Kashi darshan.
Where — in a different quarter of the old city from Vishwanath, beyond the lanes around the temple — not a stroll from the gates. - Ganga Aarti, Dashashwamedh Ghat
Held on the ghat steps every evening, lamps swung out over the river. Return to where the day began.
Where — back down to the riverfront.
Next — the river's length, and what stands beyond the city
- A dawn boat along the ghats
The bathing steps are seen from the water at first light, when the city comes down to the river.
Where — boats are taken from the main ghats. - Manikarnika Ghat
The great cremation ghat, burning without pause. Kashi is sought as a place to die as much as a place to worship, and this is where that belief is plainly visible. Photography is not welcome here.
Where — along the riverfront from Dashashwamedh. - Sarnath
Where the Buddha gave his first sermon after his enlightenment. The stupa and the museum sit just outside Varanasi. Check the museum's open days before you set out.
Where — outside the city to the north-east, reached by road. - Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
A Hanuman temple founded, by tradition, by the poet Tulsidas, who wrote the Ramcharitmanas in this city.
Where — in the southern part of Varanasi, away from the ghats — kept for the way back so the city is crossed once, not twice.
The rhythm of the year
Maha Shivaratri is the temple's great night of vigil, and Dev Deepawali fills the ghats with lamps. Both move with the Hindu calendar; the temple's own site publishes the year's dates.
Rudrabhishek
Water, milk and offerings are poured over the Jyotirlinga while the Rudram is chanted. The temple takes bookings for it on its own site, along with its other named aartis and poojas.
Pooja and aarti bookings, and donation towards the shrine.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. The temple runs its own booking and donation pages — use them rather than a reseller, and take every fee and window from there.
The town around the gates
- The temple stands in the old city above the river; the Vishwanath Corridor is the walking approach from the river side, and the Godowlia gates are the approach from the road side.
- Annapurna stands beside the Vishwanath temple, and her darshan is the one most often paired with his.
- Kaal Bhairav, the kotwal shrine, is in a different quarter of the old city — further out than the lanes around Vishwanath, and worth planning transport for rather than treating as a walk.
- The lanes around the temple are narrow and closed to vehicles. Plan to walk the last stretch whatever you arrive in.
- Security at the temple gates is tight — phones and bags are left at cloakrooms outside the entry.
- Sarnath, where the Buddha first taught, lies just beyond the city to the north-east and is the usual second-day trip.
What the shrine itself publishes
Every line below was read off a page the trust runs, on the day named beside it. Timings and fees change. Check the source before you travel.
What things cost
- Sugam Darshan — ₹300
- Rudrabhishek (1 Shastri) — ₹450
- Rudrabhishek (1 Shastri) — Video Conference — ₹700
- Mangla Aarti — ₹500
- Mid-Day Bhog Aarti — ₹300
- Sapt Rishi Aarti — ₹300
- Shringaar/Bhog Aarti — ₹300
- Sanyasi Bhojan (daily) — ₹3,000
- Sanyasi Bhojan (Monday) — ₹4,500
- Dainik Ratri Kalin Shringar (9 pm) — ₹5,000
- Every Purnima Shringaar — ₹3,700
- Akhand Deep — ₹700
- Satyanarayan Katha — ₹500
Source: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple — official pooja/aarti booking list (read 2026-08-27)
What devotees come for
- Worship of the Jyotirlinga, a self-luminous form of Shiva
- The evening Ganga Aarti on the nearby ghats
- Maha Shivaratri, the temple's greatest night of vigil
- Sought for moksha — release from the cycle of rebirth
Recorded timings
- Opens
- 04:00
- Closes
- 23:00
- Morning aarti
- 03:00 — Mangala Aarti
- Evening aarti
- 19:00 — Sapta Rishi Aarti
General darshan starts at 04:00. The temple opens at 02:30; Mangala Aarti 03:00–04:00 requires a ticket. These hours are a reference, not a live schedule. Confirm current timings with the temple authority before travel.
How to book
Steps
- Visit shrikashivishwanath.org and click 'Ticket Booking' or open the Pooja List.
- Select the service: Sugam Darshan, Mangla Aarti, or another Pooja.
- Choose an available date; Mangla Aarti opens 11:00 AM for next 30 days.
- Select available darshan slot; Sugam Darshan is same-day via helpdesk only.
- Enter devotee details and complete payment via secure gateway.
- Receive booking confirmation and pass on your phone.
What you'll need
- Mobile/device with internet
- Devotee personal details
- Valid ID for verification
- Payment method (UPI/card/net banking)
Sugam Darshan same-day booking is helpdesk-only; Mangla Aarti opens 11:00 AM for next 30 days.
Book on the official site ↗Last checked: Sep 28, 2026
Map and model
The temple, mapped
A small, very old stone temple with gold-plated towers, now standing in a wide new stone corridor that runs down to the Ganga. The walk goes from a corridor gate, through the courtyard shrines, to the jyotirlinga.
Stop 1 of 12 · Gate
Ganga Dwara, the river gateway
This is the gate that opens the temple corridor towards the river steps. Pilgrims who bathe in the Ganga walk straight up from the ghats and enter here. It is numbered Gate No. 1.
Where it is
It stands at the river end of the corridor, with the whole walkway running inland from it to the main temple.
Visitor tip
Ghat-side entry runs from 6 am to 9 pm. If you have booked the pre-dawn Mangla Aarti, this is the gate to use.
Sources (5)
- Wikipedia
Ganga Dwara, Gateway of Corridor that connects Kashi Vishwanath Temple with Ghats of the Ganges.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust
Yes, you can enter from the Ganga Ghat using Gate No. 1.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 - Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust
Entry from the Ganga Ghat to the corridor is allowed from 6 am to 9 pm.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 - Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust
The devotee can get entry for Mangla Aarti from the Gate no. 1.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 - Wikipedia
Located on the banks of the holy river Ganges, Varanasi is regarded as among the holiest of the Hindu cities.
Retrieved 10 Sept 2026 · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Stop 1 of 12: Ganga Dwara, the river gateway
The walk, in order
The walking order follows the route the temple's own visitor guidance describes, from a corridor gate to the sanctum. Facts checked against their sources on 10 Sept 2026; open “Sources” under any spot to see them.
Stay aware
What visitors and officials have reported
8 things people have run into at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, 2 of them carried in an official advisory. Every line below comes from a page we opened and read ourselves. We name no individual.
Ran into something here?
Tell us what happened at Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Sign in first, so we know a real person sent it.
At the gates
“VIP” and “quick darshan” passes
People in priest-like clothes stop pilgrims near the gates and on the approach roads and take money for a quicker VIP or sugam darshan. After payment they stall, vanish, or send people back into the ordinary queue.
What to do. Do not pay anyone on the street for temple entry. Book paid sugam darshan only on shrikashivishwanath.org, the temple app, or an authorised helpdesk, and join the official queue if you are not holding that ticket.
Read the 6 sources
“All bookings must be made through the official website, mobile app, or authorized helpdesk.”
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust · Official advisory · no date on the page · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“Police said the accused were allegedly roaming around in priest-like attire and convincing pilgrims that they could arrange faster entry for darshan.”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 20 August 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“Dashashwamedh police on Sunday arrested eight pimps who were extorting money from pilgrims by misleading them with promises of arranging entry into the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for darshan without joining the queue.”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 3 August 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“the Kashi Vishwanath Temple administration has appealed to pilgrims not to pay anyone in the name of facilitating darshan or fall prey to such claims.”
ABP Live · Reported in the news · 4 August 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“These imposters succeeded in luring visitors by promising to facilitate easy access to the Kashi Vishwanath temple without standing for long in queues, despite the temple having made provisions for Sugam Darshan, in which devotees can buy a ticket from the temple office for hassle-free entry.”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 24 November 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“This is the single most common scam pattern at the temple — touts offering "skip the line" access for cash, often ₹1,000–₹2,000 per person, for tickets that are either resold free passes or entirely fake.”
Soil n Soul Travels · Visitors report · 20 June 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
Online, before you travel
Look-alike booking sites and apps
Look-alike websites copy the temple’s booking pages and take money for sugam darshan, aarti, rudrabhishek or milk abhishek, often while the real portal has paused those bookings. Some then ask you to pay a local pandit by phone, or send AI photos from another shrine.
What to do. Use only shrikashivishwanath.org, the temple app, or an authorised helpdesk. Trust sites that end in .org for this temple, not look-alike .in pages, and do not pay numbers listed on unknown booking sites.
Read the 5 sources
“Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust manages all bookings, darshan passes, and special pooja services through its official booking system.”
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust · Official advisory · no date on the page · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“According to the police, cyber criminals started booking for darshan, worship, Rudrabhishek and aarti by creating a fake website in the name of Kashi Vishwanath temple.”
Hindustan Times · Reported in the news · 20 July 2024 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“श्रीकाशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर न्यास की वेबसाइट की पहचान है कि उसके अंत में ‘डाट ओआरजी’ है जबकि देखने में आया कि फर्जी वेब साइट के अंत में ‘डाट इन’ है।”
Dainik Jagran · Reported in the news · 20 July 2024 · quoted in Devanagari · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“फर्जी वेबसाइट पर मोटी रकम वसूल कर आपको विश्वनाथ मंदिर में पूजन पाठ का लाभ भी नहीं मिलेगा.”
ETV Bharat · Reported in the news · 19 July 2024 · quoted in Devanagari · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
“The only official booking site is shrikashivishwanath.org, run directly by the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust.”
Soil n Soul Travels · Visitors report · 20 June 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
Around the town
“VIP” and “quick darshan” passes
Unauthorised priests, guides and middlemen follow pilgrims and sell a paid chance to touch the lingam, called Sparsh Darshan. They often take the money and leave, and some press people who refuse.
What to do. Do not hire street brokers for a touch darshan. Use the police warning boards on the route from the temple to Nandi Chowk and Maidagin to report them, and follow only temple counters and posted queues.
Read the source
“To raise awareness against these elements and their menace, police have already put up boards warning devotees about brokers, on the route from temple all the way to Nandi Chowk and Maidagin”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 25 May 2026 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
People posing as priests or guides
Unlicensed guides linked to hotels and cafes offer a city or temple walk, then steer visitors into silk or craft shops for a commission and tell inflated history.
What to do. Book a licensed guide through a known operator. Decline walks offered by hotel touts, cafe staff or people who stop you on the street.
Read the source
“These unqualified guides can mislead you with inaccurate information and, in some cases, take you to shops where they earn commission from sales, such as saree or craft stores.”
Varanasi Guru · Visitors report · 14 January 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
In the market
Look-alike booking sites and apps
Touts and nearby shopkeepers sell edited copies of aarti or darshan tickets. The same barcode is reused at more than one gate so people enter on a ticket that is already invalid.
What to do. Buy aarti and darshan tickets only from the temple helpdesk or official site, and expect staff to scan the ticket at the gate. Do not buy printed tickets from shops beside the temple.
Read the source
“In further investigation, it came to light that the tickets were edited and sold to the visitors by some touts and shopkeepers near the temple.”
The Times of India · Reported in the news · 5 May 2023 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
At the ghats
Prices well above the going rate
Boatmen and agents at the ghats quote a high cash fare, shorten the ride, or add extras such as a priest blessing that was not agreed. Shared boats may be billed in pieces so the total grows.
What to do. Fix the price, route and time before you board. Check a going rate in advance and do not pay extra mid-ride for add-ons you did not ask for.
Read the source
“They might quote an unreasonably high price, often targeting those unfamiliar with standard rates.”
Varanasi Guru · Visitors report · 14 January 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
On the road in
Charges to leave shoes, phones or bags
Shops on the last stretch to the temple offer to hold phones and shoes, then press you to buy high-priced prasad. If you refuse, they may tell you to take your bags back.
What to do. Do not leave phones or shoes at roadside shops. Walk into the temple corridor and use the free lockers run by the temple trust.
Read the source
“These shops allow you to leave your belongings with them, but once you’ve placed your items in their lockers, they pressure you to purchase prasad (offerings) for the temple at inflated prices.”
Varanasi Guru · Visitors report · 14 January 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
People posing as priests or guides
People dressed as priests put a tilak on your forehead without asking, then demand a large donation. Some become aggressive if you pay little or refuse.
What to do. Do not accept unasked-for marks or rituals on the street. If you want a tilak, agree a small amount first, or walk on.
Read the source
“However, if you don’t negotiate the price upfront, they may demand a large sum after applying the tilak.”
Varanasi Guru · Visitors report · 14 January 2025 · we opened this page on 10 September 2026
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Questions devotees ask
- Where is Kashi Vishwanath Temple?
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple is recorded at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
- Who is the presiding deity at Kashi Vishwanath Temple?
- The presiding deity recorded for Kashi Vishwanath Temple is Lord Shiva.
- What are the darshan timings at Kashi Vishwanath Temple?
- Opens: 04:00. Closes: 23:00. Morning aarti: 03:00 — Mangala Aarti. Evening aarti: 19:00 — Sapta Rishi Aarti. Source checked 2026-10-05. Confirm the current schedule with the shrine before you travel.
- What does a visit to Kashi Vishwanath Temple cost?
- As printed by the source: Sugam Darshan: ₹300; Rudrabhishek (1 Shastri): ₹450; Rudrabhishek (1 Shastri) — Video Conference: ₹700; Mangla Aarti: ₹500; Mid-Day Bhog Aarti: ₹300; Sapt Rishi Aarti: ₹300. Confirm current amounts with the shrine.
Keep this shrine close
We do not sell darshan.Here is the temple’s own desk.
Temple World keeps the record. The timing, the ticket and the entry rule are the shrine’s to publish — read them there before you travel, and treat anything on this page as a reference only.
- The shrine’s own siteshrikashivishwanath.orgToday’s hours, and any entry ruleOpen ↗
- Published enquiry line+91 6393 131 608 (helpline)As published by the shrine. Confirm before you rely on itEnquiry
- Darshan optionsRecord a request for helpNo payment is taken. A request is not a bookingReference
- Plan the visitSourced guidance, cited line by lineEvery section there names the page it was read fromPlanner
- Maha Mrityunjaya JaapA rite connected to this templeA reference record, not a provider-owned online serviceRite