Maha Shivratri : 08 MARCH 2024 Know More
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most famous temple of Hindus. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Varanasi City of Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that atleast once in life a Hindu is expected to do pilgrimage, and if possible, also pour the remains (ashes) of cremated ancestors here on the holy ganga river. It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga Temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishwanatha or Vishweshwara meaning the Ruler of the universe. The temple town that claims to be the oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history is also called Kashi and hence the temple is popularly called as Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Kashi Vishwanath Baba is divided in to 3 parts of Trishul [1] Kedareshwar [2] Vishweshwar [3] MahaMritunjay. According to puran the person who stays at the end of his life time gets moksha. Kashi Vishwanath gives tarak mantra to get moksha. People who live in kashi get Aarth, Dharma, Karma, Moksha. The Temple is also known as the Golden Temple, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the city.This is the holiest spot in the city. More than the Ghats and even the Ganga, the Shivalinga installed in the temple remains the devotional focus of Varanasi. Varanasi is said to be the point at which the first jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light by which Shiva manifested his supremacy over other gods, broke through the earths crust and flared towards the heavens. The original temple was destroyed by aurangzeb who built a mosque in its place, but the traces of the old temple can be seen behind the mosque. The present temple was built by Maharani Ahilya Bai of Indore in the year 1776 and the gold plating on the towers of the temple was provided by Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Indore. To the side of the temple is Gyan-Kupor (“The well of Knowledge”). It is believed that the Shiva Lingam removed from the original temple was hidden in this well to protect it from Aurangazeb and it still lies there. Non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple