Kashi Vishwanath stands in the old city of Varanasi, a short walk up from the Ganga. Since the corridor was built, the temple has two ways in: from the town side through the lanes, or from the river through the Ganga Dwar gate on the ghat. This guide walks the visit in the order you meet it, with the rules the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust publishes.
The walk to the sanctum
The trust says the corridor can be entered from the Ganga ghat through Gate No. 1, from 6 am to 9 pm. Outside those hours, or if you arrive by road, come in from the town side. For the Mangala aarti before dawn, the trust asks devotees to enter by Gate No. 1. For the other aartis any gate will do.
The trust's rule is plain: no electronic or non-electronic gadget, and not even a pen, inside the temple premises. Free lockers are at Mandir Chauk, at the three YSK points (YSK-1, YSK-2 and YSK-3) and at the help desk. The help desk itself is near Gate No. 4. Plan for the queue without a phone, and keep your locker number written down somewhere you can read it.
There is no fee to enter. General darshan is open in the windows between the aartis, and the trust says the general darshan timings are 4 am to 11 am, 12:20 pm to 7 pm and a short window after 8 pm. The Kashi Vishwanath temple page has the full day schedule.
Sugam Darshan is the paid option. The trust says a shastri takes you near the sanctum without the queue, and the ticket includes a box of prasad, a locker and the shastri's dakshina. The trust's own pages give two prices, Rs 250 on the day schedule and Rs 300 in the FAQ, so check the price when you book. Tickets are sold from 6 am to 6 pm.
The corridor opens into the temple courtyard, with the gold-covered spires of the temple in the middle. The trust has no dress code for darshan but asks devotees to wear decent clothes.
Aartis, rudrabhishek and bookings
The temple holds five aartis a day. The Shayan aarti at night is free; the other four are ticketed.
| Aarti | Time | Charge | Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangala | 3:00 am to 4:00 am | Rs 500 | Gate No. 1 |
| Bhog (midday) | 11:15 am to 12:20 pm | Rs 300 | Any gate |
| Sapta Rishi | 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm | Rs 300 | Any gate |
| Shringar bhog | 9:00 pm to 10:15 pm | Rs 300 | Any gate |
| Shayan | 10:30 pm to 11:00 pm | Free | Any gate |
The Mangala aarti runs on normal days only and is left out on festival days.
Aarti and puja tickets are booked on the trust's site, shrikashivishwanath.org, in its app, or at the help desk. The trust lists seven ticket counters: the help desk, YSK-1, YSK-2, YSK-3, Mandir Chauk, Mandir Parisar and Dashashwamedh Ghat.
Rudrabhishek can be done any time from 4 am to 6 pm. The trust's charges are Rs 450 with one shastri, Rs 1,380 with five and Rs 2,600 with eleven, with Laghu Rudra and Maha Rudra as larger options. The shastri's dakshina is in the ticket, but milk is bought separately, inside the temple premises.
After darshan: the ghats
The corridor ends at the river. Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the trust runs one of its ticket counters and where its Gangadarshanam guest house stands, is where many visitors end the walk and take a boat out on the river.
Planning the visit
- Getting there: the trust names Varanasi Junction as the railway station and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport as the airport. Routes and distances are on the how to reach Kashi Vishwanath page.
- Staying: the trust runs two guest houses, Gangadarshanam near Dashashwamedh Ghat and Southern Grand Kashi in the corridor, both with a restaurant. Other areas are on the where to stay page.
- Festivals: the trust names Rangbhari Ekadashi, Diwali, the monthly Shivratri, Mahashivratri and the month of Kartik as its major ones. Expect bigger crowds on those days.
- Around Varanasi: the trust names Sarnath. More is on the nearby page.