The Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is in Varanasi (Kashi), Uttar Pradesh, and is the ninth in the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra. The Shiva Purana calls Kashi Shiva’s "Avimukta" city, which Shiva never leaves and where those who die attain liberation. According to the temple trust, the present temple was built in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore.
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- Tradition
- Shaiva
- Place
- Varanasi (Kashi), Varanasi district
- State
- Uttar Pradesh
- Country
- India
- Official website
- Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust (shrikashivishwanath.org)
- Map
- OpenStreetMap (25.3108, 83.0106)
Darshan and aarti timings
| Temple open | 3:00 AM to 11:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Mangala Aarti | 3:00–4:00 AM (report at Gate No. 1 by 2:30 AM) |
| Darshan | 4:00–11:00 AM, 12:20–7:00 PM, 8:30–9:00 PM |
| Bhog Aarti (midday) | 11:15 AM–12:20 PM |
| Saptarishi Aarti | 7:00–8:15 PM |
| Shringar (night) Aarti | 9:00–10:15 PM |
This is from the "frequently asked questions" PDF (undated) on the trust’s website. The Government of India’s Incredible India site gives the opening time as 2:30 AM.
Source: shrikashivishwanath.orgChecked: Times can change; check the official source before you go.
Kashi and Vishveshvara in the Shiva Purana
According to the Shiva Purana (Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 22), the attributeless Shiva created a city five krosha wide. Vishnu did penance there; a jewel fell from his ear and the spot came to be called Manikarnika. Shiva holds this city on his trident even at the dissolution of the world, so it is never destroyed. Shiva installed the Avimukta linga here, and at Avimukta’s prayer he stayed here for ever with Uma.
In the next chapter (23) Shiva tells Parvati that all beings who die in Kashi are liberated. The temple trust also gives the tradition that a single darshan of Kashi Vishwanath brings the merit of seeing the other Jyotirlingas.
The present temple and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham
According to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, the present temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780; in 1839 two of its domes were covered with gold given by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. On 28 January 1983 the Uttar Pradesh government took over the temple’s management, and a trust has run it since.
According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham was inaugurated on 13 December 2021, enlarging the temple precinct from about 3,000 square feet to about 5 lakh square feet.
How to reach Kashi Vishwanath
- Rail: Varanasi Junction (Cantt), about 4 km from the temple; bus: Chaudhary Charan Singh bus stand (temple trust, Government of India’s Utsav portal).
- Airport: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, about 25 km (Utsav portal).
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- The year of the present temple: the trust gives 1780, UP Tourism 1776; Incredible India traces the temple’s roots to the 11th century and calls 1780 a "restoration".
- UP Tourism calls Varanasi the place where the "first Jyotirlinga" broke through the earth; the stotra puts Kashi ninth and the Shiva Purana’s list seventh, and both name Somnath first.
- Order: the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra names Kashi Vishwanath 9th (this site follows that order); the Shiva Purana's list (Kotirudra Samhita 1.21–23) runs in another order and names it 7th.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Mangala Aarti at Kashi Vishwanath?
According to the temple trust, from 3 to 4 AM; devotees report at Gate No. 1 by 2:30 AM.
When was the Kashi Vishwanath Dham inaugurated?
On 13 December 2021 (Press Information Bureau).
Where is Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga?
Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is in Varanasi (Kashi), Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh.
What are the darshan timings at Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga?
Temple open: 3:00 AM to 11:00 PM; Mangala Aarti: 3:00–4:00 AM (report at Gate No. 1 by 2:30 AM); Darshan: 4:00–11:00 AM, 12:20–7:00 PM, 8:30–9:00 PM; Bhog Aarti (midday): 11:15 AM–12:20 PM; Saptarishi Aarti: 7:00–8:15 PM; Shringar (night) Aarti: 9:00–10:15 PM. Source: shrikashivishwanath.org, checked 5 October 2026; check the official source before you go.
Which lists of tirthas include Kashi Vishwanath?
The 12 Jyotirlingas (number 9 of 12 in the list).
How to reach Kashi Vishwanath?
Rail: Varanasi Junction (Cantt), about 4 km from the temple; bus: Chaudhary Charan Singh bus stand (temple trust, Government of India’s Utsav portal). Airport: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, about 25 km (Utsav portal).
Sources
- Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust (official site): frequently asked questions (PDF), shrikashivishwanath.org/pdffile/FAQ_SHRI_KASHI_VISHWANTH_TEMPLE_2_0_pdf.pdf; history, shrikashivishwanath.org/mythology
- Press Information Bureau, 12 and 13 December 2021: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, pib.gov.in (PRID 1780658, 1780884)
- Government of India, Ministry of Tourism: Utsav portal, Rangbhari Ekadashi (utsav.gov.in); Incredible India: Kashi Vishwanath temple; UP Tourism: uptourism.gov.in; Varanasi district: varanasi.nic.in
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 22 और 23 (J. L. Shastri's English translation, wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226523.html; numbered as in the Sanskrit text on sa.wikisource; the Gita Press abridged edition numbers chapters differently)
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 1.21–23 (the list of the twelve), Sanskrit text: sa.wikisource.org (शिवपुराणम्, संहिता ४, अध्यायः १)
- Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra ("सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च …"), text: sanskritdocuments.org/doc_shiva/jyotirling.html
- Wikidata Q3675 (coordinates, CC0)
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