Kashi Vishwanath
Kashi is said never to be destroyed even at pralaya, held on Shiva's trident. The present temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780.
Sacred origin
[Traditional account]
Kashi, "the luminous", is Shiva's own city. The Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana says that to die in Kashi is to receive liberation, as Shiva himself whispers the Taraka mantra into the ear of the dying.
Documented history
[Archaeological evidence]
Earlier temples on the site were destroyed in the 12th and later centuries; the Gyanvapi mosque stands on part of the old site. Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore built the present temple in 1780; Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave gold for its spire in 1835. The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor opened in 2021.
The journey continues for members
- Around the temple
Sources
- Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda