Kasi Viswanath Temple

Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, ca. 1915
Kashi Vishwanath Temple Location within Uttar Pradesh
Name
Proper name	Kashi Vishwanath Mandir
Devanagari	काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर
Sanskrit transliteration	काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिरम्
Geography
Coordinates	25°18′38.79″N 83°0′38.21″E / 25.3107750°N 83.0106139°E / 25.3107750; 83.0106139Coordinates: 25°18′38.79″N 83°0′38.21″E / 25.3107750°N 83.0106139°E / 25.3107750; 83.0106139
Country	India
State	Uttar Pradesh
District	Varanasi
Locale	Varanasi
Culture
Primary deity	Vishwanath (Shiva)
Important festivals	Maha Shivaratri
Architecture
Architectural styles	Mandir
History and governance
Date built	1780
Creator	Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar
Website	shrikashivishwanath.org

Kashi Vishvanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara meaning Ruler of The Universe. Varanasi city is also called Kashi, and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishvanath Temple.

The temple has been referred to in Hindu scriptures for a very long time as a central part of worship in the Shaiva philosophy. It has been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times in history. The last structure was demolished by Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.

Two domes of the temple are covered by gold donated by the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but the third dome remained uncovered. Later, the Ministry of Cultures & Religious affairs of U.P. Government took a keen interest in the gold plating of the third dome of the temple.

Since 1983, the temple has been managed by the government of Uttar Pradesh. During the religious occasion of Shivratri, Kashi Naresh (King of Kashi) is the chief officiating priest and no other person or priest is allowed to enter the temple sanctum sanctorum. It is only after he performs his religious functions that others are allowed to enter. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati on Mahashivratri and gauna (a ritual associated with consummation of marriage) was performed on Rangbhari Ekadashi. Residents of Kashi celebrate the occasion in a grand style.