Kashi Vishwanath Temple Varanasi History & Reconstruction

"Kashi Vishwanath" redirects here. For other uses, see Kashi Vishwanath (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Shri Vishwanath Temple, BHU. For other uses, see Kashi Vishwanath Temple (disambiguation).
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Vishveshvara Mandir
Entrance to present temple built by Ahilyabai Holkar in the 1780.
Religion
Affiliation Hinduism
District Varanasi
Deity Vishveshwara or Vishwanath (Shiva)
Festivals Maha Shivaratri
Governing body Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust
Location
Location Varanasi
State Uttar Pradesh
Country India
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in Varanasi districtKashi Vishwanath Temple
Shown within Varanasi district
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Geographic coordinates 25°18′38.79″N 83°0′38.21″E
Architecture
Type Mandir
Creator
1585 - by Man Singh I and Raja Todar Mal
1780 - by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar
1835 Gold Plating - by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Sikh Empire
2021 Kashi Vishwanath corridor - by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Completed 1780
Demolished
1194 by Muhammad of Ghor
1505-1515 by Sikandar Lodi
1669 by Aurangzeb
Website
shrikashivishwanath.org
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Kashi Vishwanath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is located in Vishwanath Gali, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple is a Hindu pilgrimage site and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. The presiding deity is known by the names Vishwanath and Vishweshwara (IAST: Viśvanātha and Viśveśvara), meaning Lord of the Universe.

The original temple, called the Adi Vishveshwar Temple, was demolished by Mohammad of Ghor during his invasion of India. Subsequently, the template was rebuilt by Man Singh I and Todar Mal under the emperor Akbar. According to several historical accounts, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered the demolition of the Hindu temple in 1669.[1] Subsequently, in 1678, the Gyanvapi Mosque was built on its site,[2] but Hindu pilgrims continued to visit the remnants of the temple.[1] The current structure was constructed on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1780.[3]

In 2021, a major redevelopment of the temple complex was completed, and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor connecting the Ganga river with the temple was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi, leading to a many-fold increase in visitors.[4][5] It has become one of the most visited Hindu temples in India, with an average 45,000 pilgrims per day in 2023.[6] The total assets of the temple, were estimated to be more than ₹6 crores in 2024.[7]

Legend
It is believed that Varanasi is the first Jyotirlinga to manifest itself.[8] According to the legend, it was at this place that Shiva (the Hindu god of destruction) manifested as an infinite column of light (Jyotirlinga) in front of Brahma (the Hindu god of creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu god of preservation) when they had an argument about their supremacy.[9]

In order to discover the origin of the luminous column, Vishnu took the form of a boar (Varaha) and tracked the column beneath the ground, while Brahma, who assumed the shape of a swan, scoured the heavens in an attempt to locate the apex of the column. However, both of them were unsuccessful in identifying the source of the luminous column. Yet, Brahma deceitfully asserted that he had discovered the summit of the column, while Vishnu humbly admitted his inability to find the starting point of the radiant column. Due to Brahma's deceit over the discovery of the origin of the luminous column, Shiva penalised him by cutting his fifth head and placing a curse upon him. This curse entailed that Brahma would no longer receive reverence, whereas Vishnu, being truthful, would be equally venerated alongside Shiva and have dedicated temples for eternity.[10][11]

Hindu scriptures describe Vishweshwara as the sacred deity of Varanasi, holding the position of king over all the other deities as well as over all the inhabitants of the city and the extended circuit of the Panchkoshi, an area (the sacred boundary of Varanasi) spreading over 50 miles.[12]

Jyotirlinga
The jyotirlinga is an ancient axis mundi symbol representing the supremely formless (nirguna) reality at the core of creation, out of which the form (saguna) of Shiva appears. The jyothirlinga shrines are thus places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.[13][14]

There are twelve 'self manifested' jyotirlinga sites that take the name of the presiding deity; each is considered a different manifestation of Shiva.[15] At all these sites, the primary image is a lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva.[15][16][17]

The twelve jyothirlinga are located at Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Baidyanath Jyotirlinga at Deoghar in Jharkhand, Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad in Maharashtra.[9][18]

History