Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, Varanasi
- Stotram list
- No. 7
- Season
- Oct to Mar
- Railhead
- Varanasi Jn
- Not checked yet
- Airport
- Varanasi
- Not checked yet
Official website: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust (shrikashivishwanath.org)
The emblem here is our own drawing. The logo belongs to the trust, so we leave it on their site and keep this independent guide from being mistaken for it.
The map loads when it scrolls into view.
The story of Kashi Vishwanath
In Varanasi on the Ganga, the Vishweshwara jyotirlinga and the temple that holds the city's devotional focus.
The Varanasi district page reads the city as the point where the first jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light, broke through the earth and rose towards the sky.
The temple's own site records the tradition that the merit earned by the darshan of the other jyotirlingas accrues from a single visit here, and names the saints who have come: Adi Shankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Tulsidas, Dayanand Saraswati and Guru Nanak.
- Temple site, mythology page, temple trust, read 19 Oct 2026
- Varanasi district, temples of importance, district administration, read 19 Oct 2026
Darshan at Kashi Vishwanath
Kashi Vishwanath is an active temple with a daily ritual schedule, not a monument. The free queue is the default: it costs nothing and on a normal weekday it moves well. Paid darshan, if the trust offers one, buys a shorter line rather than a different view of the linga. On festival days the paid line is often suspended entirely.
Aarti is the part worth planning around. Slots are limited, some are booked days ahead, and walk-ins are turned away once the hall is full.
The temple opens at 2:30 AM and closes at 11:00 PM, and darshan runs in the gaps between the five aartis.
Source: shrikashivishwanath.org, read 19 Oct 2026.
The temple opens early for the Mangala aarti and runs the day in darshan windows with the aartis in between. The corridor has widened the approach, but the queue inside the sanctum area is the part that takes the time.
Shravan, Mahashivratri and the Kashi festival calendar are the heavy periods, and the temple posts changes to its own darshan windows at those times.
- Temple site, darshan windows, temple trust, read 19 Oct 2026
When the crowds arrive
Two periods are heavy at every one of the twelve: Mahashivratri and the month of Shravan. What is specific to Kashi Vishwanath is the part this site has not sourced yet.Data check pending
What Mahashivratri changes at all twelve →Where to stay
Three ways people stay at Kashi Vishwanath, cheapest and closest first.
What is around Kashi Vishwanath
The corridor links the temple to the Ganga. Most visitors give the temple a few hours and leave the same day, which is a miss: the places worth half a day sit within a short drive, and going early or late avoids the crowd that arrives with the coaches.
- Maa Annapurna Temple
- Sankatha Temple
- Kaal Bhairav Temple
- The ghats
Rules and practicalities
Phones and cameras are not allowed inside the sanctum area at any of the twelve. Lockers and deposit counters sit at or near the gate.
Covered shoulders and knees are the safe default. Checked against each temple's own notice.Data check pending
Wheelchair access, the length of the barefoot stretch and the shoe stand are checked at the gate rather than assumed.Data check pending
Kashi Vishwanath on Mahashivratri and during Shravan runs on a different schedule with far longer queues. See the festival pages for what changes.
Sources for this temple: shrikashivishwanath.org, shrikashivishwanath.org. What each one covers, and the date it was read, is on the darshan and booking page.
Common questions about Kashi Vishwanath
What are the Kashi Vishwanath temple timings?
How do I reach Kashi Vishwanath?
Where should I stay near Kashi Vishwanath?
When is the best time to visit Kashi Vishwanath?
Also in the North group
The other temples in the North group, the himalaya and the ganga plain.
The North group: stations, airports and links to the other groups →