Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda
Chapter 70, verse 17 — 'Worshipped, heard or seen in Kashi, Vishalakshi fulfils the desires of women and men desirous of the greatest liberation'
70.17
Varanasi · Uttar Pradesh
Sri Vishalakshi Gauri Temple
Sri Vishalakshi Gauri Temple — Mir Ghat, Kashi (Varanasi)
Vishalakshi — the wide-eyed Devi; presiding Shakti of Kashi
अन्य नाम: Vishalakshi Gauri · Vishalakshi Amman · Manikarni Devi (from Sati's right-ear earring) · Kashi Vishalakshi
- Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha
- Adi Shankaracharya's 3 principal S…
- 51 Shakti Pithas tradition
- Listed among the 108 Shakti Pithas
इस मन्दिर की विशेषता
- Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Pitha — 17th Pitha in Adi Shankaracharya's stotram: 'Vārāṇasyāṃ Viśālākṣī, Kāśmīre tu Sarasvatī'
- Adi Shankaracharya's 3 principal Shakti Pithas — Kanchi Kamakshi + Kashi Vishalakshi + Madurai Meenakshi
- 51 Shakti Pithas tradition — Sati's right-ear earring (mani-kundala) fell here (Tantra-Chudamani); Bhairava: Kala-Bhairava; the nearby Manikarnika Ghat is named after this event
- Listed among the 108 Shakti Pithas (Devi Bhagavata tradition)
- Presiding Shakti of Kashi — one of the 7 Sapta-Puri moksha-cities
- Day 5 (Skandamata-day) of the Kashi Nava-Gauri Yatra
01
मूल विग्रह
मुख्य देव एवं स्वरूप
Sri Vishalakshi Devi — Adi Parashakti / Parvati form; presiding Shakti of Vishvanath-Kashi; the temple precinct also houses a Vishalaksheshwar Shivalinga
Wide-eyed Parvati-form vigraha; the garbhagriha holds the Sri Yantra (Sri Chakra) installed by Adi Shankaracharya; daily Kumkumarchana by the Tamil Nagarathar priestly tradition
सम्प्रदाय: Shakta — Sri Vidya tradition (the Sri Yantra installed by Adi Shankaracharya)
02
स्थल-पुराण
कथा, इतिहास एवं महत्व
Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda
Vyasa-anna narrative — during sage Vyasa's curse on Kashi, Devi Vishalakshi appeared in the guise of a housewife and offered food, dispelling the curse
Devi Bhagavata Purana
108 Shakti Pitha list — Vishalakshi-Kashi has a foremost position
Tantra-Chudamani
51 Shakti Pitha list — Kashi / right-ear mani-kundala / Kala-Bhairava
Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram
Composed by Adi Shankaracharya — 'Vārāṇasyāṃ Viśālākṣī, Kāśmīre tu Sarasvatī | Aṣṭādaśa supīṭhāni yoginām api durlabham' (17th Pitha)
Shiva Purana
Narrative of Shiva first beholding Parvati as Vishalakshi (the wide-eyed one)
संत एवं परम्परा
- Adi Shankaracharya (8th-9th century CE) — during his Kashi visit installed a Sri Yantra (Sri Chakra) in the garbhagriha; praised Vishalakshi as the 17th Pitha in the Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram; also composed the Annapurna Stotram which underpins the Vishalakshi-Annapurna identification tradition
- Maharshi Vyasa — central narrative of the Devi Vishalakshi's anna-dana following the Kashi curse
- Nattukottai Nagarathars (Chettinad, Tamil Nadu Chettiar community) — built the temple in 1893 CE and remain its trustees today; daily puja and Kumkumarchana follow Tamil tradition
- Muthuswami Dikshitar (Carnatic music trimurti) — composer of the kirtanam 'Padmapatra Vishalakshi'
ऐतिहासिक घटनाक्रम
- 8008th-9th century CE — Adi Shankaracharya installed the Sri Yantra in the garbhagriha; praised in the Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram — Tirthayatra + TemplesinIndia + Astroved
- 18931893 CE — Nattukottai Nagarathar Chettiars of Chettinad built the present structure (haveli-style with South Indian gopura elements) — Wikipedia + Optimatravels + Kashi Arrival
- 2021Post-2021 — with the Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor expansion the temple's walking access from the Vishvanath Gangadwar (within 250 m) was preserved — Shri Kashi Vishwanath Trust + Wikipedia
03
नित्य उपासना
दर्शन समय एवं आरती
04:30 से 22:00 तक · मध्याह्न विश्राम 11:00-17:00 (midday closure)
Mangala Aarti04:00
Before opening; first aarti of the day
Morning Darshan & Puja04:30-11:00
Bhog Aarti (midday)12:00
Evening Darshan17:00-21:30
Sandhya Aarti19:00
Shayan Aarti22:00
Closing aarti of the day
04
दर्शन
दर्शन के प्रकार
General Free Darshanनिःशुल्क
Vishalakshi Devi darshan is free; queue-based.
Sri Chakra / Sri Yantra Kumkumarchana
Special kumkum-archana on the Sri Yantra installed by Adi Shankaracharya (offered by the Nagarathar priests in the Tamil tradition). Speak directly to the temple priests for sankalpa.
05
उत्सव
प्रमुख पर्व एवं उत्सव
MahashivratriPhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi
Abhishek of the Vishalaksheshwar Shivalinga; combined with the Vishvanath yatra. 2026 — Sunday 15 February.
Chaitra (Vasanta) NavaratriChaitra Shukla Pratipada-Navami
Nine-day Devi worship culminating on Ram Navami (27 March). 2026 — Thursday 19 March to Friday 27 March.
Kajari Teej (Kajali Teej) — annual temple melaBhadrapada Krishna Tritiya
The Vishalakshi temple's supreme annual mela; women observe a vrat for their brothers' welfare; Kajari songs; special arrangements by the Nagarathar trust. 2026 — Monday 31 August.
Sharadiya Navaratri — Kashi Nava-Gauri Yatra (Day 5)Ashvin Shukla Pratipada-Dashami
Day 5 of Navaratri (Skandamata-day) is the designated day for Vishalakshi Gauri darshan in the Kashi 9-Gauri yatra. 2026 — Sunday 11 October to Tuesday 20 October (Vijayadashami).
Sharad PurnimaAshvin Purnima
Special abhishek and moonlight-offering.
Annakoot (day after Diwali)Kartika Shukla Pratipada
Joint Annapurna-Vishalakshi Annakoot festival
Dev DeepavaliKartika Purnima
Lamp-lighting on Kashi's 84 ghats; extended hours at the Vishalakshi temple
06
आस्था
मनोकामना एवं फल
Kashi Khanda 70.17 — 'Worshipped, heard or seen in Kashi, Vishalakshi fulfils the desires of women and men desirous of the greatest liberation'
स्रोत: Skanda Purana Kashi Khanda 70.17
Kanchi Kamakshi + Kashi Vishalakshi + Madurai Meenakshi — combined pilgrimage of Adi Shankaracharya's 3 principal Shakti Pithas
स्रोत: Adi Shankaracharya tradition
Per the Vyasa-Kashi-curse narrative, Vishalakshi = Annapurna-svarupa; for anna and dhana prosperity
स्रोत: Skanda Purana Kashi Khanda + Annapurna Stotram (Adi Shankaracharya)
At the annual Kajari Teej mela, vrat-sankalpa for brothers' welfare
स्रोत: North-Indian vrata tradition
Panchadashakshari mantra jap on the Sri Yantra installed by Adi Shankaracharya
स्रोत: Sri Vidya tantric tradition
For completion of the Kashi yatra — combined four-tirtha darshan (all within 250-1500 m)
स्रोत: Kashi sthala tradition
07
जप
मन्त्र एवं स्तोत्र
- Ashtadasha Shakti Peetha Stotram17th verse — 'Vārāṇasyāṃ Viśālākṣī, Kāśmīre tu Sarasvatī | Aṣṭādaśa supīṭhāni yoginām api durlabham' — scriptural confirmation of Vishalakshi
- Annapurna Stotram / Annapurna Ashtakam'Annapurne sadapurne shankarapranavallabhe' — recited regularly at the Vishalakshi temple due to the Vishalakshi-Annapurna identification tradition (per the Vyasa narrative)
- Sri Vidya Panchadashakshari Mantra'ka e ī la hrīṃ — ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ — sa ka la hrīṃ' — the 15-syllable Mahatripura-Sundari mantra; recited at the Sri Yantra installed by Adi Shankaracharya
- Padmapatra VishalakshiVishalakshi-dedicated South Indian classical composition
- Om Hreem Vishalakshyai Namah
08
तीर्थाटन
समीप के तीर्थ एवं परिपथ
Manikarnika Ghat (adjacent)200 मी
Sati's mani-kundala (right ear) fell here — the source of the name Manikarnika; the principal cremation ghat of Kashi
Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple (one of the 12 Jyotirlingas)250 मी
Consort-form of Vishalakshi; foremost of the 12 Jyotirlingas; central tirtha of the Kashi yatra
Sri Annapurna Devi Mandir200 मी
Adi Shankaracharya's Annapurna Stotram shrine; Vishalakshi-Annapurna identification tradition
Mir Ghat (the temple's namesake ghat)230 मी
The temple is associated with this ghat; Ganga-snan site
Sri Kala-Bhairava Mandir (Kotwal of Kashi)1.5 किमी
The consort Bhairava of the Vishalakshi Shakti-Pitha; guardian of the whole city of Kashi
Sri Dhundhiraj Ganesh Temple (in the Vishwanath complex)300 मी
One of the 6 Kashi Shastanga Yoga tirthas (along with Vishalakshi)
Sri Dandapani Temple300 मी
One of the 6 Kashi Shastanga Yoga tirthas
Dashashwamedh Ghat600 मी
Kashi's principal Ganga-aarti ghat; world-famous evening Ganga aarti
Central (northern pitha) — Kanchi Kamakshi (Tamil Nadu) + Kashi Vishalakshi (Uttar Pradesh) + Madurai Meenakshi (Tamil Nadu)
3 मंदिर
17th pitha — 'Vārāṇasyāṃ Viśālākṣī, Kāśmīre tu Sarasvatī'
18 मंदिर
Right-ear mani-kundala Pitha; Bhairava: Kala-Bhairava
51 मंदिर
Presiding Shakti of Kashi — representative Devi-Pitha for Kashi among the 7 Sapta-Puri cities (Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Ujjain, Dwarka, Kanchi)
7 मंदिर
Designated Gauri on Day 5 (Skandamata-day); other 8: Mukh-Nirmalika, Jyeshtha, Saubhagya, Shringar, Lalita, Bhavani, Mangla, Mahalakshmi
9 मंदिर
Vishvanath + Vishalakshi + Ganga + Kala-Bhairava + Dhundhiraj Ganesh + Dandapani — a single-day yatra
6 मंदिर
Central Shakti-tirtha; for completion of the Kashi yatra — combined 4-tirtha darshan (all within 250-1500 m)
4 मंदिर
09
मार्गदर्शन
यात्रा एवं संपर्क
- पता
- Sri Kashi Vishalakshi Mata Shaktipeeth Mandir, Kashi Lahori Tola, near Ganpati Guest House, Mir Ghat, Varanasi — 221001, Uttar Pradesh
- हवाई अड्डा
- Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS, Babatpur) — ~25 km
- रेलवे
- Varanasi Junction (BSB) — ~4-5 km
- बस-स्टैण्ड
- ~10 min walk from Godowlia Chowk via Dashashwamedh → Mir Ghat; or enter via the Vishwanath Dham Gangadwar/Lalita Ghat; or by boat from Dashashwamedh to Mir Ghat
- उत्तम ऋतु
- October-March is best; Chaitra and Sharadiya Navaratri and Kajari Teej (31 August 2026) are peak; summer (April-June) day temperatures may exceed 42°C
0.25 किमीKashi Vishwanath Temple
0.2 किमीAnnapurna Devi Mandir
0.2 किमीManikarnika Ghat
0.23 किमीMir Ghat
0.6 किमीDashashwamedh Ghat
1.5 किमीKala Bhairava Mandir
5 किमीVaranasi Junction
25 किमीLal Bahadur Shastri Airport
12 किमीSarnath
125 किमीAllahabad/Prayagraj