Kashi Vishwanath darshan timings: hours, aartis and the best time to go

The visiting hours for darshan at Shri Kashi Vishwanath are 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. These are the hours MandirMay plans darshan around, including Sugam darshan slots.

The temple’s ritual day is longer than its visiting hours. It begins before dawn with the Mangala aarti, and ends at night with the Shayan aarti, after which the sanctum closes. Through the day, darshan pauses briefly while each aarti and bhog is offered, and resumes once it is done.

Timings can change on Mondays in Shravan, Mahashivratri, Dev Deepawali and other major days, when the temple often extends hours and changes how the queues work. If your visit falls on one of these, check the temple’s announcements close to your date, or tell us when you book and we plan around them.

Five aartis are offered to Baba Vishwanath every day:

• Mangala aarti, before dawn, the first aarti of the day
• Bhog aarti, around midday, when bhog is offered
• Saptarishi aarti, in the evening, a Kashi tradition performed by priests representing the seven sages
• Shringar (Bhog) aarti, at night, when the Jyotirlinga is adorned
• Shayan aarti, the last aarti, before the temple closes

Attending an aarti inside the temple is arranged through the temple itself, and places are limited. MandirMay doesn’t book aarti attendance inside the temple. The exact aarti times shift slightly through the year, so confirm them close to your date.

The evening Ganga aarti on the ghats is a separate ceremony by the river. It is free to watch, and many people see it from a boat; see Ganga aarti in Varanasi.

It depends on the day and the line you are in.

• Sugam darshan: entry and darshan usually take 30 to 45 minutes on regular days, and up to 90 minutes on peak weekends and festival days.
• General darshan: free, but the wait is open-ended. On a quiet weekday morning it can be short; on a Monday in Shravan it can take many hours.

Security checks at the gates add a little time, and you will need to leave phones and bags at a cloakroom or locker before entry. If you are short on time, have a train or flight the same day, or are travelling with elders, a timed Sugam darshan ticket takes the uncertainty out of the day.

Time of day. Early morning, soon after darshan opens, is usually the calmest. Afternoons on weekdays can also be manageable. Evenings get busier as devotees come in after the Ganga aarti.

Day of the week. Mondays are sacred to Shiva and the busiest day every week. Weekends are busier than weekdays.

Season. October to March is the most comfortable time to visit Varanasi, with cool mornings and pleasant days. Shravan (July–August) brings very large crowds, especially on Mondays. Festivals such as Mahashivratri, Dev Deepawali and Makar Sankranti also draw big crowds to the temple and the ghats.

A simple plan for a first visit: darshan in the morning, a Sankalp puja at the ghat or a rest in the afternoon, and the evening boat for the Ganga aarti.

MandirMay is an independent platform and is not affiliated with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. We help you book around the temple’s timings:

• Sugam darshan booking assistance: we book the temple’s official ticket for your slot, and the e-ticket comes to your WhatsApp and email as a PDF. Each devotee above 12 needs one; children under 12 go free.
• A hotel room about a 2–3 minute walk from the temple, which makes an early-morning darshan easy.
• Pickup and drop from Varanasi Airport (about 25 km) or Varanasi Junction (about 5 km).
• Pujas and the evening boat, or the whole visit as one ready-made Kashi trip when one fits your dates.

Today’s prices are in the tables below. Kashi bookings are non-refundable and can’t be rescheduled, so fix your date before you pay.