Varanasi: plan your visit to Shri Kashi Vishwanath

Varanasi, which devotees call Kashi, is one of the oldest living cities in the world and Shiva's own city. At its heart is Shri Kashi Vishwanath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, on the western bank of the Ganga. The temple, with its gold-plated spires, was rebuilt in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar.

Today the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor links the temple directly to the ghats, so you can walk from the river to the shrine. Darshan is open from 6 AM to 9 PM; for the daily aartis and the best time of day to go, see Kashi Vishwanath darshan timings.

The city is busiest through Shravan, on Mondays, on Mahashivratri and around Dev Deepawali, when the ghats are lit with lamps. Many families also come for the Ganga snan on Makar Sankranti. October to March is the most comfortable time to visit.

MandirMay is an independent platform. It is not affiliated with the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust; it helps devotees book and plan their visit.

The temple's official paid route for a shorter wait is Sugam darshan, booked through the temple board's portal. MandirMay books the official Sugam darshan ticket on your behalf: you share each adult's name (as on Aadhaar), age, gender and Aadhaar number, and the e-ticket comes to your WhatsApp and email as a PDF. Children under 12 do not need a ticket.

On regular days, entry and darshan with a Sugam pass usually take 30 to 45 minutes, and up to 90 minutes on peak weekends and festival days. See Sugam darshan booking for the steps, and VIP darshan at Kashi Vishwanath for how Sugam and Sparsh darshan differ.

Kashi Vishwanath bookings are non-refundable and cannot be rescheduled, so choose your date carefully. If the slot you chose is already full, our team contacts you for another time, or refunds you in full.

Life in Kashi runs along the river. Most visitors walk the ghats, watch the evening Ganga aarti, and see the city from the water at least once.

MandirMay's boat ride takes you along the ghats in the evening glow: book a seat on the scheduled evening boat, or hire the whole boat for your group (up to 8 people). See Ganga aarti and the boat in Varanasi for how to plan your evening.

You can also perform a Sankalp Puja on the Ganga ghat before your darshan, with all samagri arranged.

MandirMay arranges these with pandits and all puja samagri:

• Rudrabhishek at Kashi, with 1, 2 or 4 pandits.
• Sankalp Puja, for one person, or for two people at the Ganga ghat.
• Sparsh darshan, where the temple allows devotees to touch the Jyotirlinga; traditional clothes are required.
• Pind daan and Tripindi Shradh in Kashi, performed at the ghats. If your family cannot travel, the online pind daan is performed in Kashi on your behalf.

One day. Sugam darshan in the morning, a walk on the ghats, and the evening boat.

Two days. Add a Sankalp puja on the ghat and a cab through the temples and sights around the city.

Three days. The most relaxed plan:

1. Day 1: airport or station pickup, check-in near the temple, the evening boat along the ghats.
2. Day 2: Sankalp puja on the ghat, then Sugam darshan at Kashi Vishwanath.
3. Day 3: local sightseeing if you wish, and the drop to the airport or station.

MandirMay can arrange this plan with every transfer, or you can pick a ready-made Kashi Darshan, Ganga Aarti & Boat trip on the Kashi Vishwanath page when one fits your dates. For more ways to plan, see the Varanasi tour package.

Varanasi Airport is about 25 km from the temple, and Varanasi Junction is about 5 km away. MandirMay arranges airport and railway station pickups and drops for up to 4 or 6 people, straight to your hotel or the temple.

Staying close to the temple saves you the old city's traffic. MandirMay's rooms are a 2–3 minute walk from the temple, with AC, a lift and an attached bathroom, in Economy and Premium options. Check-in is at 12 PM and check-out at 11 AM.

What to carry and wear: your Aadhaar for every adult on a Sugam booking, and traditional clothes, which are required for Sparsh darshan.

How booking works: pick your services and date on the Kashi Vishwanath page, see the price for your date, pay through Razorpay, and our team confirms on WhatsApp.