Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Deity

Lord Shiva

Elevation of the present temple structure

• Malhar Rao Holkar, the Maratha emperor, proposed a strategy in 1742 to demolish the mosque and rebuild Vishweshwar temple on the site. His strategy, however, did not come to fruition, in part due to the intervention of the Nawab of Awadh, who was granted control of the region. About 1750, the Maharaja of Jaipur commissioned a survey of the land surrounding the temple with the aim of buying land to rebuild it. His proposal to restore the temple, however, did not come to fruition. Ahilyabai Holkar, Malhar Rao's daughter-in-law, built the existing temple next to the mosque in 1780. In the Gyan Vapi precinct, Baiza Bai, the widow of Maratha ruler Daulat Rao Scindhia of Gwalior State, built a low-roofed colonnade with over 40 pillars in 1828. Gyanvapi Well's boundary, ghats, and other nearby temples were built between 1833 and 1840 CE. Many noble families from various Indian subcontinent ancestral kingdoms and their prior establishments contribute generously to the temple's operations. Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Sikh Empire donated one tonne of gold for the temple's dome plating in 1835. Nagpur's Raghuji Bhonsle III donated silver to the temple in 1841. To the east of the colonnade is a 7-foot high stone statue of the Nandi bull, which was provided by the Rana of Nepal sometime in the 1860s.

Legend

• According to the Shiva Purana, Brahma (the Hindu God of Creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu God of Preservation) once clashed over who was the most dominant. Shiva pierced the three worlds as the jyotirlinga, a massive eternal pillar of light, to put them to the test. To see who was the most powerful, Vishnu assumed the form of Varaha and went to the bottom of the pillar, while Brahma assumed the form of a swan and flew to the top. Brahma, in his arrogance, claimed to have discovered the end and offered a katuki flower as evidence. Vishnu modestly admitted that he couldn't find the bottom. Shiva then assumed the wrathful Bhairava form, severed Brahma's lying fifth head, and cursed him not to be worshipped. For all eternity, Vishnu will be worshipped as equal to Shiva, with his temples. The jyotirlinga is an axis mundi symbol that represents the ultimate formless (nirguna) truth at the heart of life, from which Shiva's form (saguna) emerges. As a result, the jyothirlinga shrines are places where Shiva manifested himself as a fiery column of fire. Shiva has 64 different types, which are not to be confused with Jyotirlingas. Each of the twelve jyotirlinga sites is named after the presiding deity, who is thought to be a distinct manifestation of Shiva. The primary image at all of these locations is a lingam reflecting the eternal and unending Stambha pillar, symbolizing Shiva's infinite existence.

Structure

• Between the temple and the Gyanvapi Mosque was its original holy well Gyanvapi.
• The temple complex is made up of a series of smaller shrines that are situated near the river in a narrow lane known as the Vishwanatha Galli. The main deity's linga, which is housed in a silver altar, is 60 centimetres (24 in) tall and 90 centimetres (35 in) in diameter. The main temple is a quadrangle surrounded by shrines dedicated to other gods. In the complex, there are small temples dedicated to Kaalbhairav, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha, and Virupaksh Gauri. The temple has a small well named Jnana Vapi, which is also spelled Gyaan vapi (the wisdom well). The Jnana Vapi well is located to the north of the main temple, and the Jyotirlinga was placed in the well during the Mughal invasion to shield it. The temple's main priest is said to have jumped into the well with the Shiv Ling to shield the Jyotirlinga from unauthorized users.
• A Sabha Griha or Congregation Hall leads to the inner Garbha Griha or Sanctum Sanctorum, according to the temple's structure. The venerable Jyotirlinga is a dark brown coloured stone that lies on a silver base in the Sanctum. The Mandir's structure is divided into three parts. The first sacrifices a spire on Lord Vishwanath's or Mahadeva's Mandir. The gold dome is the second, and the gold spire atop Lord Vishwanath, which carries a flag and a trident, is the third.

Importance of the temple

Street near temple

• Varanasi, situated on the banks of the sacred Ganges, is considered one of the holiest Hindu cities. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is generally regarded as one of Hinduism's most important places of worship. The Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishveshvara or Vishvanath, is housed inside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The Vishveshvara Jyotirlinga holds a remarkable and unique place in India's spiritual history.
• Adi Sankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Bamakhyapa, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sathya Sai Baba, Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Mahant Swami Maharaj, and Gurunanak are just a few of the famous saints who have visited the place. A visit to the temple and a bath in the Ganges are two of the many methods thought to lead to Moksha (liberation). As a result, Hindus from all over the world make an effort to visit the site at least once in their lives. There is also a tradition that after a pilgrimage to the temple, one should give up at least one wish, and the pilgrimage will include a visit to the temple at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, Southern India, where people take Ganges water samples to pray at the temple and carry back sand from near the temple. Hundreds of temples have been constructed in the same architectural style as Kashi Vishwanath temple due to its enormous popularity and holiness. Many legends say that true devotion to Shiva results in liberation from death and sasra, with Shiva's devotees being brought directly to his abode on Mount Kailash by his messengers after death, rather than to Yama. Shiva's dominance and triumph over his own existence (Shiva is associated with death) are also claimed. It is widely believed that when people die naturally at the Vishwanath temple, Shiva himself blasts the redemption mantra through their face.

Daily Routine

Temple Opening Timing :

• Open 24 hours

Aarti

• Every morning, between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., the Aarti begins. - Devotees are permitted to enter the temple between the hours of 2:30 and 3:00 a.m. Sharp at 12 p.m.

Pooja Booking

• Rs.3000.00 Sanyasi Bhojan Dainik
• Serving food to Sanyasi who are devoted to Lord with the blessings of Baba Vishwanath, and his service is a service to God itself.
• Monday's Sanyasi Bhojan is Rs. 4500.00.
• Monday is considered to be one of the most auspicious days of the week since it is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the ascetic God who resides in the Kailash Mountains. There are several myths and rituals associated with the Somvar Vrat/Puja, as it is known in Hindi.

Aarti Booking

Rs.350.00 Mangla Aarti

1. Every morning, between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., the Aarti starts.
2. Devotees are permitted to enter the temple between the hours of 2:30 and 3:00 a.m.
3. Gate No. 1 is the entry point (Dhundi Raj Ganesh).
4. Children under the age of 12 are admitted for free.
5. It is necessary to present a ticket at the temple's entrance.
6. Admission to the Temple is subject to approval by the District Admissions Committee.

Rs. 180.00 for Bhog Aarti in the Middle of the Day

• Every day, between 11:15 AM and 12:20 PM, the Aarti is done.
• Devotees should arrive at the temple at 10:45 a.m. (Half an hour before the Aarti).
• Children under the age of 12 are admitted for free.
• It is necessary to present a ticket at the temple's entrance.

Sapt Rishi Aarti ~ Rs.180.00

• On the day of Purnima, sapt rishi Aarti will begin an hour before the scheduled time.
• Every evening between 7:00 and 8:15 p.m., the Aarti is performed.
• Devotees are encouraged to arrive at the temple by 6:30 p.m. (Half an hour before the Aarti).
• Children under the age of 12 are admitted for free.
• It is necessary to present tourists ticket at the temple's entrance.

Shringaar / Bhog Aarti ~ Rs.180.00

• Every day from 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m., an Aarti is performed.
• At 8:30 p.m., devotees should join the temple (Half an hour before the Aarti).
• It is free to enter for children under the age of 12.
• At the temple's entrance, tourists must display  their tickets
• Rs 5000.00 Dainik Ratri Kalin Shringar (9 PM)
• Rs 7500.00 Shravan Somvar Sanyasi Bhojan
• Rs. 3700.00 is worth Purnima Shringaar every year.
• Rs 15000.00 Shraavan Somvar Shringaar
• Rs 230.00 for 5 to 21 litres of milk
• Rs 400.00 for milk (21 litres to 50 litres)

Visitor Guide

AIRWAYS

• Varanasi and New Delhi have a direct flight link every day. Varanasi is also connected to Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho, Calcutta, Mumbai, Lucknow, Gaya, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Bhuvaneshwar, and other cities in India. Airport Director: 0542-2622155 Terminal Manager: 0542-2623060 

RAILWAYS

• Varanasi is an important and fundamental rail hub. Trains run to and from the city from all of the country's metros and major cities. The city has direct rail connections to New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Gwalior, Meerut, Indore, Guwahati, Allahbad, Lucknow, and Dehradun. Enquiry number 135 for Varanasi Cantt Railway Station.

ROADWAYS

• Agra 565 kilometres, Allahabad 128 kilometres, Bhopal 791 kilometres, Bodhgaya 240 kilometres, Kanpur 330 kilometres, Khajuraho 405 kilometres, Lucknow 286 kilometres, Patna 246 kilometres, Sarnath 10 kilometres, Lumbini (Nepal) 386 kilometres, Kushi Nagar 250 kilometres (via Gorkhpur), UPSRTC Bus Stand, Sher Shah Suri Marg, Golgadda Bus Stand.

Other Visiting Sites

Nepali Temple

• Temple's unique culture and epic architecture will undoubtedly capture the spirit. My family and I came over here.

Manikarnika Ghat

• The view from Manikarnika Ghat was magnificent, and it transported the person to another world. Burning dead bodies for 24 hours has a different connotation that goes beyond words.

Dasaswamedh Ghat

• Offering India Trip:  On the Ganga River in Varanasi, Dashashwamedh Ghat is the largest ghat. It is the most impressive ghat and is situated near to Vishwanath Temple. It is associated with two Hindu legends: Lord Brahma, according to one account, built it to welcome Lord Shiva.

Banaras Lanes