Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple)

Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple)

Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple)
4
Architectural BuildingsReligious Sites
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
4:00 AM - 11:00 PM
About
Standing on the western bank of India's holiest river Ganges, Varanasi is the oldest surviving city of the world and the cultural capital of India. It is in the heart of this city that there stands in its fullest majesty the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in which is enshrined the Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishweshwara or Vishwanath.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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  • seema60
    Toronto, Canada910 contributions
    Beautiful historical Shiva temple
    We went to see the Kashi Vishwanath temple with the paid ticket. It’s a bit of a tourist trap. We were taken to a shop where we got the Aarti products along with the services of the pandit. He took us around the complex and got us to do Darshan. Unfortunately it has become very commercial. Every where you go they expect dakshina. We went later on our own and it was more beautiful. We walked around the premises which have now become a part of a Kashi Vishwanath corridor. All the old shops and buildings have been razed and old temples have been restored. The spire of the Kashi Vishwanath is in gold donated by Ranjit Singh. The history of the temple is quite complex as it has been razed many times in the past. The current temple was built by Ahilyabai Holker.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 24 January 2023
  • K Shanmugam
    2 contributions
    Scope for improvement
    We visited Varanasi recently. We visited the temple twice and worshipped Kashi Vishwanath, Annapoorni and Badri Narayan to our satisfaction. Certain aspects the temple administration is to improve. Rudrabhishekam with 5 priests we booked. Only one priest was present. Even he didn't recite Rudram well. We booked for Sanyasi Bhojan. We thought we will be serving atleast one item to Sanyasis. Nothing was said and done about it. We aren't happy with these aspects.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 March 2023
  • two201
    18 contributions
    Lifetime experience.
    Visited temple on 11th March 23. whole temple complex has been nicely renovated Lockers arrangements for mobiles too are good with prompt service. We two had booked midday bhog aarti on line in advance. Had darshan of lord Shiva but much more is required to be done for smooth darshan Many persons entered who had not reservation for bhog aarti. when asked the volunteers they expressed helpness. JAI MAHADEV. ANIL UBEROI
    Visited March 2023
    Written 24 March 2023
  • Archana K
    3 contributions
    Some dos and donts
    Want to share some mistakes made went with group tour organized by tour agency. Turned out to be very costly affair. This is small town with, small roads. No need to hire cab or bus. manage with local autos. Good hotels are in cantonment area. book online . Autos are available outside hotels. smaller the group easier to manage. Ask your auto wala to take you to important temples, shops, eateries. 2 days are enough to cover all sites in Kashi including Sarnath. Allahabad will require separate one day, where you should go by taxi. if you wan to perform Puja, book online. they do not allow you to enter the main temple .Darshan has to be taken from outside. New Corridor is very over rated, nothing special.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 3 May 2023
  • BhawukD
    3 contributions
    Mangal Arati and Sulabh Darshan
    We went for 3-4 am Mangal Arati, and for Sulabh Darshan at 4 pm on another day. Mangal Arati tickets are not easily available so advance planning is required. Sulabh Darshan tickets were available easily.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 June 2023
  • Sridhar
    Eden Prairie, Minnesota376 contributions
    Must see in Varanasi!
    At a certain point the rickshaw will drop you and from there temple is about a kilometer away. So, either you walk from here to the entrance of the temple or take a pedal rikshaw. I believe the temple was recently renovated and it is beautiful. The grounds are very clean. You go through security check before entering the main temple complex and deposit any bags, cell phones camera etc. There are counters to deposit your footwear inside the temple complex as well. The Annapurna temple is also located within and close to the main temple. If you intend to perform Rudrabhishek. buy tickets in advance. Have a great darshan!
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 July 2023
  • babita13
    Jaipur, India332 contributions
    Jai Baba Vishwanath
    Visited this temple in the evening or in night after the ganga Arti. the rickshaw was not allowed to come in night. We have got the facility of VIP darshan so entered from gate no. 4 We kept all our belongings in the lockers outside the temple as only small wallet was allowed. we had the prasad from the shop where we kept our purse and went inside the temple. as we entered inside from gate 4 it was a very peaceful experience. the premises was very neat and clean and after some security check we reached to the temple where the Arti was going on and as soon as the Aarti was finished we got the chance to enter inside the temple. There was huge rush and people was just falling on each other. They just push you and you did not get a chance to take the glimpse of the linga. For me it was very bad experience as I still not have any impression of inside of temple and my mother was just saved by one of my college. Rest of the temple was very beautiful. Just sit and feel the Ganga there.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 September 2023
  • Stephanie
    London, United Kingdom6 contributions
    Sacred and serene
    This is one of the most temples in India and ofcourse the main attraction centre of this city. Visiting this temple is one of the must to do activities. Tickets are usually available for quick visit. We were happy to visit this temple, so much positive energy and vibrations. Our guide also explained the history of this place which was so sad.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 November 2023
  • Anand1351
    Singapore, Singapore2,731 contributions
    Wow Divine and so grand
    Surely PM Modi has done a lot of work here, easily accessible , clean, open, plenty of space, lots of amenities , I even saw a VIP lounge here, and washroom facilities apart from locker. Had divine darshan of Mahadev. You may come here from river Ganges side also on boats. I wish other temple premises could be extended like this.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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Prabhakara B
Bengaluru, India11 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Beautiful temple , but road connectivity needs large improvement ....also needs better crowd management outside the temple ....temple website should be made more informative , crisp and user friendly
Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Uma J
Mumbai, India20 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Place of Religious Importance
I had visited this temple earlier about 8 years back. The only difference I found was the thoughtless infrastructural development.
The rickshaw or your private vehicle can drop you till a point and after that you just have to walk endlessly to reach any temple or ghat in kashi. The richshawwallas will tell you that they will drop you till the entrance but that’s not true or even possible. Please be careful while fixing the price. This applies not just to this place but to the entire kashi. However, there are wheelchair puller available here and they can drop people to their destination for a charge.
The waiting time here is always long, so a ticket is preferable. These tickets are available at booths managed by authorities. I suggest not buying it from anywhere else.
Once you have the ticket, you enter the premises through one of the worst security checks.
The entrance security disallowed my selfie stick (which I had decided to keep in the locker but that was inside temple premises) and a pack of wet tissue and wanted to confiscate it, but I approached the ticket booth and requested them to help in the regard and it was taken care of and duly returned.
After one enters the main gates, you can use the footwear stand for your footware and approach the locker facility and submitt mobile phones and other electronic gadgets and large hand bags. Small purses and money pouches are allowed inside. The lockers being limited as compared to the devotees visiting, one might have to wait for it to be available.
One has to go through a couple of security checks before you can enter the temple premises. There is no specific prohibited item in this unique security checks. Whatever the security likes (specially the female security), is termed as prohibited and forcefully, abusively and permanently confiscated. I and my companions were shocked to lose lip balms, pocket VapoRub’s, expensive stationery items (pens and pocket dairy), sanitizers, cosmetic items, etc, never to get it back.
I suggest you keep everything in the lockers and also possibly try not to even blink when the security is checking your wallets.
Once you enter the premises after losing your valuables to the security, you have to be vigilant and find your queue if you have the paid ticket. After checking your ticket, you will be asked to join the line which goes from anywhere. You have to be careful!
After about an hour, you get the darshan from outside the garbhgruh. Not allowed till the Shivling, one can just view it for a fraction of a second from outside before the security pulls you out.
Gyanvapi well is located right in front of one of the doors of the garbhgruh. The well has been filled up and closed and covered with nirmalya and of course money.
Right next to it, is the huge Nandi facing the supposed Shivling in the ablution area of the disputed gyanvapi masjid.
Darshan of this Shivlinga is NOT Available and it is not even visible from anywhere as the disputed area has been covered.
Once out from the temple premise there is an approach way to the manikarnika Ghat. On the way to the Ghats, one can get the darshan of the noble queen Ahilyabai Holkar who built / restored temples in India including the Vishwanath temple.
One can get a decent view from the ghats of the ganges but its a oneway. once you go to the ghat from here you can't come back the same way to collect your electronic gadgets kept in the lockers and have to forcibly go through all security checks over again and get in the general queue. So be careful where ever you enter.
Its completely mismanaged. Not at all appropriate for senior citizen and absolutely tourism unfriendly.
After all the hardships and dejection, you feel peaceful and blessed with the presence of the Supreme Lord around you.
Har Har Mahadev
Written 15 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul S
Glasgow, UK72 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
The temple precinct is huge with shops, toilets etc. but “foreigners” need to find the ticket office first (not easy - by gate 4) negotiate the ticket desk (not easy - you will need your passport and visa) and then pay 600 rupees each. Then deposit everything in a locker (and I mean everything - phone, money, bags - as you can take nothing into the temple). Then wait for a priest to walk you over to the temple (there can be a significant wait for this at busy times). You leave your shoes at the entrance after passing serious security measures and then are taken past the temple, given a gift by the priest (who does not speak English or any other language - luckily we had a Hindi speaker with us) and then directed to the exit (total time in temple about 15 minutes). Worth it - probably not!
Written 11 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anand1351
Singapore, Singapore2,731 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Surely PM Modi has done a lot of work here, easily accessible , clean, open, plenty of space, lots of amenities , I even saw a VIP lounge here, and washroom facilities apart from locker.
Had divine darshan of Mahadev.
You may come here from river Ganges side also on boats.
I wish other temple premises could be extended like this.
Written 9 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephanie
London, UK6 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
This is one of the most temples in India and ofcourse the main attraction centre of this city. Visiting this temple is one of the must to do activities. Tickets are usually available for quick visit. We were happy to visit this temple, so much positive energy and vibrations. Our guide also explained the history of this place which was so sad.
Written 8 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vacation58255717132
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Family
First of all, entire experience is worst in my life. Entire administration is worst. The police behaviour is worst. No humanity. Who has appointed them as temple adminstration department. They're not helping others. For elder person no arrangement. The roads are horrible. But God for everyone. Boating experience in the evening excellent. But you have to change entire environment. See how are taking to the elder people in which road conditions. Horrible situation
Written 28 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Prakash Babu C A
Coimbatore, India1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Friends
Some other problems we are faced, in future we will have manage. We require comfortable accommodation and food. Then we want a genuine guide.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Discover820205
70 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
We were able to do Darshan of the shrine with VIP facility and back within 20 minutes. Arrangements are excellent with discipline.
Written 8 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

geetanjali770
Mumbai, India96 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
The temple is awe inspiring and so clean. We paid the ticket for the VIP line during Saptarishi Arti in the evening and were blessed that we could pay our obeisance at the Base of the Linga.
Written 27 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

babita13
Jaipur, India332 contributions
Sep 2023 • Family
Visited this temple in the evening or in night after the ganga Arti. the rickshaw was not allowed to come in night. We have got the facility of VIP darshan so entered from gate no. 4
We kept all our belongings in the lockers outside the temple as only small wallet was allowed. we had the prasad from the shop where we kept our purse and went inside the temple.
as we entered inside from gate 4 it was a very peaceful experience. the premises was very neat and clean and after some security check we reached to the temple where the Arti was going on and as soon as the Aarti was finished we got the chance to enter inside the temple. There was huge rush and people was just falling on each other. They just push you and you did not get a chance to take the glimpse of the linga.
For me it was very bad experience as I still not have any impression of inside of temple and my mother was just saved by one of my college.
Rest of the temple was very beautiful.
Just sit and feel the Ganga there.

Written 16 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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