Temples in Varanasi

Kashi Vishwanath

Kashi Vishwanath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and the heart of the city. The present temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1780, and its spire was covered in gold given by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor, opened in December 2021, now links it by a wide paved route to the river. Phones, cameras and bags are not allowed inside; there are lockers near the gates. Foreign nationals book darshan in person at the temple trust's helpdesk, with a passport and visa copies.

The temples around it

Kaal Bhairav, the guardian of Kashi, is a short walk north. Many pilgrims visit him before or after Vishwanath, and leave with a black thread tied on the wrist. Annapurna Devi stands beside Vishwanath; her gold image is shown only in the Diwali week. Vishalakshi, a Shakti Peetha, is small and easily missed in the lanes.

Towards BHU

Sankat Mochan, the Hanuman temple founded by Tulsidas, is busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays; phones are taken at a counter by the gate. Tulsi Manas Mandir, a short walk away, has the text of the Ramcharitmanas carved on its walls. The New Vishwanath Temple on the Banaras Hindu University campus is open to people of every religion.

On the river

Ratneshwar Mahadev, near Manikarnika, leans sharply towards the water and spends much of the year partly under it. It is a photograph, not a place of darshan. The Nepali Temple above Lalita Ghat is a carved wooden temple in the Kathmandu style.

Beyond Hinduism

At Sarnath, the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar has murals by the Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu, and there are Thai, Tibetan and other Buddhist temples nearby. The Bharat Mata Mandir has no idol, only a marble relief map of undivided India.

Visiting well

Shoes off, shoulders and knees covered, and no photos of the deity. Mondays, the month of Shravan and Mahashivratri bring the longest queues.