One of the holiest of all Shiva temples, rising on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, the eternal city of light. Here Shiva is worshipped as Vishwanath, the 'Lord of the Universe'.
Primary Deity
ShivaLocation
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Pilgrimage Circuit
JyotirlingaBest Time to Visit
October to March for comfortable weather. Mahashivratri and Dev Deepawali are spectacular; early-morning darshan and the evening Ganga Aarti are unmissable.
Kashi (Varanasi) is regarded as the holiest city in Hinduism, and Kashi Vishwanath is its presiding Jyotirlinga. It is believed that Shiva himself whispers the 'Taraka mantra' of liberation into the ear of those who die in Kashi, granting instant moksha. Bathing in the Ganga and offering worship at Vishwanath is considered among the most meritorious acts a Hindu can perform. For centuries saints, philosophers and seekers — from Adi Shankaracharya to Tulsidas — have been drawn to this timeless kshetra of death and deliverance.
Kashi Vishwanath has been the beating spiritual heart of Varanasi for millennia, its golden spires and dome — gilded with gold donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh — glowing above the ghats of the Ganga. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt several times through history, the present structure dating to 1780 when it was built by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. In 2021 the sweeping Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor reconnected the ancient shrine directly to the river ghats, transforming the pilgrim experience. Immersed in the ceaseless chants, bells and the nearby Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, a visit here is an encounter with the very soul of Hindu civilisation.
The 12 Jyotirlingas are the holiest abodes of Lord Shiva, where he is worshipped as a self-manifested pillar of radiant light (jyoti). Completing darshan of all twelve is considered one of the highest acts of Shaivite devotion. This temple is one of the 10 sacred sites of the Jyotirlinga.
📍 Pune, Maharashtra
A Jyotirlinga hidden in the forested Sahyadri hills near Pune, cradled within the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the source of the Bhima river and a haven of both faith and biodiversity.
📍 Aurangabad, Maharashtra
The twelfth and last of the Jyotirlingas, standing close to the UNESCO-listed Ellora Caves. The present red-stone temple was lovingly rebuilt in the 18th century by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar.
📍 Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
One of the 12 Jyotirlingas and the presiding deity of the ancient city of Ujjain. Its lingam is uniquely dakshinamukhi (south-facing), a feature found in no other Jyotirlinga.
📍 Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
The second Jyotirlinga, set amid the forested Nallamala Hills on the banks of the Krishna River. It is one of the rare shrines that is simultaneously a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha.
📍 Dwarka, Gujarat
A Jyotirlinga near Dwarka on the Saurashtra coast, marked by a towering 25-metre seated statue of Lord Shiva visible from far away. Its name means 'Lord of the Nagas (serpents)'.
📍 Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
A Jyotirlinga set on a river island in the Narmada that is itself shaped like the sacred syllable 'Om'. It is one of the most serene Shaivite pilgrimages in central India.
📍 Veraval, Gujarat
The first among the 12 Jyotirlingas, standing on the western coast of Gujarat where the Arabian Sea meets the shore. It is among the most sacred and storied Shiva temples in all of India.
📍 Nashik, Maharashtra
A Jyotirlinga near Nashik at the source of the sacred Godavari river, famous for its rare lingam bearing three faces — Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is one of the four sites of the Nashik Kumbh Mela.
📍 Deoghar, Jharkhand
Revered as Baba Baidyanath Dham, this Jyotirlinga is worshipped as the 'divine physician' who heals body and soul. It is also counted among the Shakti Peethas.
📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
The grand revitalised pathway that reconnects the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple directly to the ghats of the Ganga, transforming the pilgrim experience in Varanasi.
📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
A Shakti Peetha beside the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, where an earring (or the eyes) of Sati is said to have fallen. The goddess Vishalakshi, the 'wide-eyed one', is the presiding Devi of Kashi.
📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
The ancient temple of Kaal Bhairav, the fierce form of Shiva who serves as the Kotwal (police chief and guardian) of the holy city of Kashi. No pilgrimage to Varanasi is deemed complete without his darshan.
📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
A beloved Hanuman temple in Varanasi, traditionally founded by the saint-poet Tulsidas, whose name means 'the reliever of troubles'. It is as famous for its music festival as for its devotion.
📍 Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh
A revered Shakti shrine at Vindhyachal on the banks of the Ganga, honouring the goddess Vindhyavasini, and the centre of the sacred Trikon Parikrama of three Devi temples.
📍 Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
A unique Shakti Peetha in Prayagraj where no idol is worshipped — only a wooden cradle (doli) over the spot where the last part of Sati's body is said to have vanished (alop).
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is primarily dedicated to Shiva.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
October to March for comfortable weather. Mahashivratri and Dev Deepawali are spectacular; early-morning darshan and the evening Ganga Aarti are unmissable.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the 10 temples in the Jyotirlinga.
Kashi (Varanasi) is regarded as the holiest city in Hinduism, and Kashi Vishwanath is its presiding Jyotirlinga. It is believed that Shiva himself whispers the 'Taraka mantra' of liberation into the ear of those who die in Kashi, granting instant moksha. Bathing in the Ganga and offering worship at Vishwanath is considered among the most meritorious acts a Hindu can perform. For centuries saints, philosophers and seekers — from Adi Shankaracharya to Tulsidas — have been drawn to this timeless kshetra of death and deliverance.
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