creator = Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar proper_name = Kashi Vishwanath Mandir.

date_built = 1780 primary_deity = Vishwanath (Shiva) architecture = Mandir location = Varanasi

Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is in the holy city of Varanasi, India. The temple stands on the western bank of Hinduism's holiest river Ganges, and the deity is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas the holiest of Shiva deities. 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 [cite web
url = http://www.indiatravelogue.com/trav/impr49.html title = India travelogue Impressions of India: Kashi Viswanath ]

is also called Kashi and hence the temple is popularly called as Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Due to this 15.5m high golden spire, the temple is sometimes called as theGolden Temple, similar to the Sikh Gurudwara at Amritsar. The temple has been in Hindu mythology for a very long time and a central part of worship in the Shaivaphilosophy. The original temple has not yet been found and due to invasions, the temple has been destroyed and rebuit a number of times. The current structure is believed to have been built by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780 cite web|url = http://varanasi.nic.in/temple/KASHI.html|title = Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple - A Brief history ] . Since 1983, the temple is being managed by Govt. of Uttar Pradesh. During the religious occasion of Shivratri, Kashi Naresh is the chief officiating priest and no other person or priest is allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. It is only after he performs his religious functions that others are allowed to enter

The temple structure The temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli, near the river. The linga the main deity at the shrine is 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed in a silver altar.[ ! There are small temples for "aal#hairav, $handapani, %vimu&teshwara, Vishnu, Vinaya&a, 'anishwara, Virupa&sha and Virupa&sh Gauri in the complex. There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi (the wisdom well) and it is #elieved that the *ytorlinga was hidden in the well to protect it at the time of invasion. +t is said that the main priest of the temple had ,umped in the well with the 'hiv -ing in order to protect the (*yoti.r)-ing from the invaders.. %t the entrance of the present temple there is a /avilion and on the western side of pavilion there is a temple of $and /anishwar. +n the courtyard the idols of Gauri and Ganesha are standing and ad,acent to them are the temples of 'ringar Gauri, 'atyanarayana and %vimu&teshwar. 0n the western side is the temple of 'hanaishchareshwar 1ahadev.

There are twelve *yotirlingas in +ndia. Vishweshwar -inga is one of them. +t has its own importance. +t is not round shaped, rather it is s2uare. There is no water channel and water has to#e drained out #y hands. 0ffering worship here has special significance on "arti& 'hu&la 3haturdashi and 1ahashivaratri. The height of the idol of 4andi is two metras in the new temple and it is facing the old temple. 0n coming out of the temple if one wal&s toward $hundhira, Ganesha, one can find the temple of 'hanaishchar. The idol inside this temple does not have his #ody5 it only contains his head which is made of silver and is always covered with cloth. The temple of 1ahavir,i is also there. The idol in the %nnapurna temple is made of #rass #ut it has silver throne. The entire environment of the temple is devotional.