Kashi Vishwanath darshan: the aartis, the phone rule, and Sugam Darshan

Before you go: what to leave behind

This is the part that catches most visitors. Mobile phones and electronic devices are not allowed inside the temple, and visitor guides list smartwatches, cameras, Bluetooth earphones, power banks and bags among the things that must stay outside. There are free cloakrooms near the corridor entry gates and paid lockers as well - but the simplest plan is to leave what you can at the hotel and carry only your ID and a little cash.

If you are going with a driver, agree the pickup point and time before you walk in. Once your phone is in a locker, you cannot call.

The five daily aartis

The temple performs five aartis a day. The times below are as published by visitor guides to the temple rather than by the trust itself; they shift on festival days and through the month of Shravan, so confirm with the trust's helpline before planning around one.

Mangala Aarti

Before dawn - the first of the day

Bhog Aarti

Around 11:15 AM

Saptarishi Aarti

Around 7:00 PM

Shringar Aarti

Around 9:00 PM

Shayan Aarti

Around 10:30 PM - the last of the day

General darshan pauses around the aartis. The temple trust's official site, shrikashivishwanath.org, handles its paid bookings.

Sugam Darshan: the shorter queue

Sugam Darshan is the trust's paid fast-track. Its official site describes it as queue-less darshan, escorted by a Shastri, with a free locker and laddu prasad at the end. Visitor guides put the charge at ₹300 per person. Book it only through the official site or the trust's app, and ignore anyone outside the temple offering 'VIP' entry.

Helpline

+91 6393 131 608

Enquiries

+91 70802 92930, 9 AM to 6 PM

Email

support@shrikashivishwanath.org

When to go

• Early morning on a weekday is usually the calmest time for general darshan.
• Monday is Shiva's day and draws bigger crowds. Mondays in Shravan, and Mahashivratri - on 6 March 2027 - are the busiest days of the year.
• Late evening, after the Saptarishi Aarti, is a quieter second window on most days.

Getting there from Shivpur

Hotel Vagmi is about 6 km by road from Kashi Vishwanath. The temple sits in the old city, where the lanes are too narrow for cars; cabs drop you at the nearest road point and you walk in. The Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor now opens the temple to the ghats, so darshan and the river are a short walk apart.

The travel desk arranges a cab and can have it wait. The pairing that works: darshan in the early morning, then down to the ghats for a boat - or the other way round in the evening, after the aarti at Dashashwamedh.