Kashi Vishwanath temple - wikipedia Kashi Vishwanath temple Not to be confused with Vishwanath Temple, BHU. For other uses, see Kashi Vishwanath Temple ( disambiguation ). Kashi Vishwanath Temple Kashi Vishwanath Temple, ca. 1915 Location within Uttar Pradesh Geography Coordinates 25 ° 18 ′ 38.79 '' N 83 ° 0 ′ 38.21 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 25.3107750 ° N 83.0106139 ° E ﻿ / 25.3107750 ; 83.0106139 Coordinates : 25 ° 18 ′ 38.79 '' N 83 ° 0 ′ 38.21 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 25.3107750 ° N 83.0106139 ° E ﻿ / 25.3107750 ; 83.0106139 Country India State Uttar Pradesh District Varanasi Locale Varanasi Culture Sanctum Vishwanath ( Shiva ) Important festivals Maha Shivaratri Architecture Architectural styles Mandir History and governance Date built 1780 Creator Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar Website shrikashivishwanath.org Kashi Vishvanath Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganga, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishvanatha or Vishveshvara meaning Ruler of The Universe. Varanasi city is also called Kashi, and hence the temple is popularly called Kashi Vishvanath Temple. The temple has been referred to in Hindu scriptures for a very long time as a central part of worship in the Shaiva philosophy. It has been destroyed and re-constructed a number of times in history. The last structure was demolished by Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor who constructed the Gyanvapi Mosque on its site. The current structure was built on an adjacent site by the Maratha ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780. Since 1983, the temple has been managed by the government of Uttar Pradesh. During the religious occasion of Shivratri, Kashi Naresh ( King of Kashi ) is the chief officiating priest. Contents 1 History 2 Legend 3 The temple structure 4 Importance of the temple 5 Puja details 6 See also 7 References 8 Notes 9 External links History The temple has been mentioned in the Puranas including the Kashi Khanda ( section ) of Skanda Purana. The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by the army of Qutb - ud - din Aibak in 1194 CE, when he defeated the Raja of Kannauj as a commander of Mohammad Ghori. The temple was rebuilt by a Gujarati merchant during the reign of Delhi 's Sultan Iltutmish ( 1211 - 1266 CE ). It was demolished again during the rule of either Hussain Shah Sharqi ( 1447 - 1458 ) or Sikandar Lodhi ( 1489 - 1517 ). Raja Man Singh built the temple during Mughal emperor Akbar 's rule, but orthodox Hindus boycotted it as he had let the Mughals marry within his family. Raja Todar Mal further re-built the temple with Akbar 's funding at its original site in 1585. In 1669 CE, Emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the temple and built the Gyanvapi Mosque in its place. The remains of the erstwhile temple can be seen in the foundation, the columns and at the rear part of the mosque. Gyanvapi Mosque, sketched as Temple of Vishveshvur in 1834 by James Prinsep Plan of the Ancient Temple of Vishveshvur, by James Prinsep Elevation of the present temple structure In 1742, the Maratha ruler Malhar Rao Holkar made a plan to demolish the mosque and reconstruct Vishweshwar temple at the site. However, his plan did not materialize, partially because of intervention by the Nawabs of Lucknow, who controlled the territory. Around 1750, the Maharaja of Jaipur commissioned a survey of the land around the site, with the objective of purchasing land to rebuild the Kashi Vishwanath temple. However, his plan to rebuild the temple did not materialize either. In 1780, Malhar Rao 's daughter - in - law Ahilyabai Holkar constructed the present temple adjacent to the mosque. In 1828, Baiza Bai, widow of the Maratha ruler Daulat Rao Scindhia of Gwalior State, built a low - roofed colonnade with over 40 pillars in the Gyan Vapi precinct. During 1833 - 1840 CE, the boundary of Gyanvapi Well, the ghats and other nearby temples were constructed. A 7 - feet high stone statue of Nandi bull, gifted by the Raja of Nepal lies to the east of the colonnade. Many noble families from various ancestral kingdoms of Indian subcontinent and their prior establishments make generous contributions for the operations of the temple. In 1841, the Bhosales of Nagpur donated silver to the temple. In 1835, Maharaja Ranjit Singh donated 1 tonne of gold for plating the temple 's dome. The temple was managed by a hereditary group of pandas or mahants. After the death of Mahant Devi Dutt, a dispute arose among his successors. In 1900, his brother - in - law Pandit Visheshwar Dayal Tewari filed a lawsuit, which resulted in him being declared the head priest. Legend As per Shiva Purana, once Brahma ( the Hindu God of creation ) and Vishnu ( the Hindu God of Harmony ) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshiped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. There are 64 forms of Shiva, not to be confused with Jyotirlingas. Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva. The twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deogarh in Deoghar, Jharkhand, Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The Manikarnika Ghat on the banks of Ganges near to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is considered as a Shakti Peetha, a revered place of worship for the Shaktism sect. The Daksha Yaga, a Shaivite literature is considered as an important literature which is the story about the origin of Shakti Peethas. The temple structure The original holy well -- Gyanvapi in between the temple and Gyanvapi Mosque The temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli, near the river. The linga of the main deity at the shrine is 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed in a silver altar. The main temple is quadrangle and is surrounded by shrines of other gods. There are small temples for Kaalbhairav, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha and Virupaksh Gauri in the complex. There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi also spelled as Gyaan vapi ( the wisdom well ). The Jnana Vapi well sites to the north of the main temple and it is believed that the Jyotirlinga was hidden in the well to protect it at the time of invasion. It is said that the main priest of the temple jumped in the well with the Shiv Ling in order to protect the Jyotirlinga from invaders. According to the structure of the temple, there is a Sabha Griha or Congregation Hall leading to the inner Garbha Griha or Sanctum Sanctorum. The venerable Jyotirlinga is a dark brown colored stone which is enshrined in the Sanctum, placed on a silver platform. Structure of the Mandir is composed of three parts. The first compromises a spire on the Mandir of Lord Vishwanath or Mahadeva. The second is gold dome and the third is the gold spire atop Lord Vishwanath carrying a flag and a trident. The Kashi Vishwanath temple receives around 3,000 visitors every day. On certain occasions the numbers reach 1,000,000 and more. Noteworthy about the temple is 15.5 metre high gold spire and gold dome. There are three domes each made up of pure gold. Importance of the temple Street near temple Located on the banks of the holy Ganges, Varanasi is regarded among the holiest of the Hindu cities. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is widely recognized as one of the most important places of worship in Hindu religion. Inside the Kashi Vishvanath Temple is the Jyotirlinga of Shiva, Vishveshvara or Vishvanath. The Vishveshvara Jyotirlinga has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. Many leading saints, including Adi Sankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Bamakhyapa, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Sathya Sai Baba and Gurunanak have visited the site. A visit to the temple and a bath in the river Ganges is one of many methods believed to lead one on a path to Moksha ( liberation ). Thus, Hindus from all over the world try to visit the place at least once in their lifetime. There is also a tradition that one should give up at least one desire after a pilgrimage the temple, and the pilgrimage would also include a visit to the temple at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu in Southern India, where people take water samples of the Ganges to perform prayer at the temple and bring back sand from near that temple. Because of the immense popularity and holiness of Kashi Vishwanath temple, hundreds of temples across India have been built in the same architectural style. Many legends record that the true devotee achieves freedom from death and saṃsāra by the worship of Shiva, Shiva 's devotees on death being directly taken to his abode on Mount Kailash by his messengers and not to Yama. The superiority of Shiva and his victory over his own nature -- Shiva is himself identified with death -- is also stated. There is a popular belief that Shiva himself blows the mantra of salvation into the ears of people who die naturally at the Vishwanath temple. Puja details There are 5 aartis of Shree Kashi Vishwanath :. Mangala Aarti : - 3.00 - 4.00 ( Morning ).. Bhoga Aarti : - 11.15 to 12.20 ( Day ).. Sandhya Aarti : - 7.00 to 8.15 ( Evening ).. Shringara Aarti : - 9.00 to 10.15 ( Night ).. Shayana Aarti : - 10.30 - 11.00 ( Night ). Security arrangements do not allow any cell phones, camera, belts with metal buckle, cigarettes, lighters, etc. inside the temple. See also Shri Vishwanath Mandir Mrityunjay Mahadev Mandir Ratneshwar Mahadev temple Hindu temples in Varanasi India portal Uttar Pradesh portal Varanasi portal Hinduism portal Religion portal References Jump up ^ Akhil Bakshi ( 2004 ). Between heaven and hell : travels through Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and India : an account of the expedition hands across the borders. Odyssey Books. Jump up ^ `` Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple - A Brief history ''. Jump up ^ S.P. Udayakumar ( 1 January 2005 ). Presenting the Past : Anxious History and Ancient Future in Hindutva India. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 99. ISBN 978 - 0 - 275 - 97209 - 7. Jump up ^ Catherine B. Asher ( 24 September 1992 ). Architecture of Mughal India. Cambridge University Press. pp. 278 -- 279. ISBN 978 - 0 - 521 - 26728 - 1. Jump up ^ Vanessa Betts ; Victoria McCulloch ( 30 October 2013 ). Delhi to Kolkata Footprint Focus Guide. Footprint Travel Guides. pp. 108 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 909268 - 40 - 1. Jump up ^ James Prinsep. Benares Illustrated in a Series of Drawings. p. 29. ISBN 9788171241767. ^ Jump up to : Madhuri Desai ( 2007 ). Resurrecting Banaras : Urban Space, Architecture and Religious Boundaries. ProQuest. ISBN 978 - 0 - 549 - 52839 - 5. Jump up ^ Matthew Atmore Sherring ( 1868 ). The Sacred City of the Hindus : An Account of Benares in Ancient and Modern Times. Trübner & co. pp. 55 -- 56. Jump up ^ Matthew Atmore Sherring ( 1868 ). The Sacred City of the Hindus : An Account of Benares in Ancient and Modern Times. Trübner & co. p. 51. Jump up ^ Trivikram Narain Singh And Ors. vs State Of U.P. And Ors. ( Allahabad High Court 28 October 1986 ). Text ^ Jump up to : R. 2003, pp. 92 - 95 Jump up ^ Eck 1999, p. 107 Jump up ^ See : Gwynne 2008, Section on Char Dham ^ Jump up to : Lochtefeld 2002, pp. 324 - 325 Jump up ^ Harding 1998, pp. 158 - 158 Jump up ^ Vivekananda Vol. 4 Jump up ^ Chaturvedi 2006, pp. 58 - 72 Jump up ^ `` Kottiyoor Devaswam Temple Administration Portal ''. http://kottiyoordevaswom.com/. Kottiyoor Devaswam. Retrieved 20 July 2013. External link in work = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Cultural holidays - Kashi Vishwanath temple ''. Jump up ^ `` History ! Kashi Vishwanath temple ''. Notes Chaturvedi, B.K. ( 2006 ), Shiv Purana ( First ed. ), New Delhi : Diamond Pocket Books ( P ) Ltd, ISBN 81 - 7182 - 721 - 7 Eck, Diana L. ( 1999 ), Banaras, city of light ( First ed. ), New York : Columbia University Press, ISBN 0 - 231 - 11447 - 8 Gwynne, Paul ( 2009 ), World Religions in Practice : A Comparative Introduction, Oxford : Blackwell Publication, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4051 - 6702 - 4. Harding, Elizabeth U. ( 1998 ). `` God, the Father ''. Kali : The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 156 -- 157. ISBN 978 - 81 - 208 - 1450 - 9. Lochtefeld, James G. ( 2002 ), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism : A-M, Rosen Publishing Group, p. 122, ISBN 0 - 8239 - 3179 - X R., Venugopalam ( 2003 ), Meditation : Any Time Any Where ( First ed. ), Delhi : B. Jain Publishers ( P ) Ltd., ISBN 81 - 8056 - 373 - 1 Vivekananda, Swami. `` The Paris Congress of the History of Religions ''. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Vol. 4. External links Kashi Vishwanath Temple Website Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, Varanasi Shaivism History History of Shaivism Deities Shiva Sadyojata Vamadeva Aghora Tatpurusha Ishana Nataraja Dakshinamurthy Harihara Shakti Ardhanarishvara Parvati Ganesha Kartikeya Nandi Texts Shvetashvatara Upanishad Shivarahasya Purana Shiva Purana Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta Mantra / Stotra Om Namah Shivaya Rudrashtakam Mahamrityunjaya Mantra Shiva Tandava Stotram Shiva Sahasranama Shiv Chalisa Shri Rudram Chamakam Shiva mahimna stotram Philosophical Traditions Shaiva Siddhanta Pashupata Shaivism Kashmir Shaivism Veera Shaivism Siddha Siddhanta Shiva Advaita Shaiva Smartas Jyotirlingas Bhimāśankara Ghuṣmeśvara Kedāranātha Viśveśvara Mallikārjuna Mahākāleśvara Nāgeśvara Omkāreśvara Rāmeśvara Somanātha Tryambakeśvara Vaidyanātha Pancha Bhoota Stalam Chidambaram Temple ( Ether ) Sri Kalahasti Temple ( Air ) Annamalaiyar Temple ( Fire ) Thiruvanaikaval Temple ( Water ) Ekambareswarar Temple ( Earth ) Temples Amarnath Brihadeeswarar Kailash Mansarovar Katasraj temple Lingaraj Temple Meenakshi Tirunelveli Panch Kedar Kedarnath Tungnath Rudranath Madhyamaheshwar Kalpeshwar Pancha Sabhai Ratna Sabai Pon Sabai Velli Sabai Thamira Sabai Chitira Sabai Tiruchengode Thirukutralam Vadakkum Nathan List of Shiva temples in India Traditional Observances Kanwar Yatra Lingam Rasalingam Maha Shivaratri Pradosha Shiva Puja Siddha Vibhuti Other names Shiva Temples Trilinga Kshetras Draksharama Srisailam Kaleshwaram Pancha Kedaras Kedarnath Tungnath Rudranath Madhyamaheshwar Kalpeshwar Pancharama Kshetras Amararama Draksharama Ksheerarama Kumararama Somarama Pancha Sabha Stalams Emarald Thiruvalangadu Gold Thillai Silver Madurai Copper Nellai Art Courtallam Panchabhuta Sthalams Kanchipuram ( Earth ) Annamalai ( Fire ) Thiruvanaikaval ( Water ) Chidambaram ( Ether ) Srikalahasthi ( Air ) Pancheshwarams ( Sri Lanka ) Kethishwaram Koneshwaram Munneshwaram Naguleshwaram Thondeshwaram Jyotirlinga Sthalas Somnath Srisailam Mahakaleshwar Omkareshwar Kedarnath Bhimashankar Kashi Vishvanath Trimbakeshwar Vaidyanath Nageshvara Rameshwaram Grishneshwar Significant 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams Brihadeeswaram Amarnath Lingaraj Gokarna Kudalasangama Vaikom Thrissur Thiruvarur Khajuraho More... Out of India Bhadreshwaram ( Vietnam ) Fire temple ( Azerbaijan ) Ganga Talao ( Mauritius ) Iraivan temple ( USA ) Katasraj ( Pakistan ) Kadhalishwaram ruins ( China ) Kethishwaram ( Sri Lanka ) Koneshwaram ( Sri Lanka ) Mt. Kailash ( Tibet ) Pashupatinath ( Nepal ) Shivagraham ( Indonesia ) Sivan temple ( Singapore ) Sthūlādri ( Thailand ) Temple in the Sea ( Trinidad & Tobago ) Tribhuvanamāhesvaram ( Cambodia ) Temples in Varanasi Annapurna Devi Mandir Baba Keenaram Sthal Bharat Mata Mandir Durga Mandir Kaal Bhairav Mandir Kashi Vishwanath Temple Lalita Gauri Mandir Mrityunjay Mahadev Mandir Nepali Mandir Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple Sankata Devi Mandir Tilbhandeshwar Mahadev Mandir Tulsi Manas Mandir Vishalakshi Temple Vishwanath Mandir ( BHU ) Hindu Temples in Uttar Pradesh Alopi Devi Mandir Annapurna Devi Mandir Baba Keenaram Sthal Banke Bihari Temple Belon Temple Bharat Mata Mandir Bhitargaon Daan - Ghati Durga Mandir, Ramnagar Durga Mandir, Varanasi Gola Gokaran Nath Temple Gorakhnath Math Hanumangarhi J.K. Temple Jarai - ka - Math Junglee Nath Kaal Bhairav Mandir Kashi Vishwanath Temple Kesava Deo Temple Krishna Balaram Mandir Krishna Mandir, Barohiya Lalita Gauri Mandir Madidai Ka Mandir Mankameshwar Temple Mrityunjay Mahadev Mandir Neelkantheshwar Nepali Mandir Prem Mandir Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple Sankata Devi Mandir Shakumbhri Devi Shri Tilbhandeshwar Mahadev Mandir Vishwanath Mandir ( BHU ) Someshwar Mahadev Temple Tulsi Manas Mandir Vindhyachal Vishalakshi Temple Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kashi_Vishwanath_Temple&oldid=804490787 '' Categories : Jyotirlingas Hindu temples in Varanasi Places of worship converted into mosques Religious buildings completed in 1780 Hidden categories : CS1 errors : external links EngvarB from April 2015 Use dmy dates from April 2015 Coordinates on Wikidata Pages using infobox Hindu temple with unknown parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা भोजपुरी Deutsch Español Français ગુજરાતી गोंयची कोंकणी / Gõychi Konknni हिन्दी ಕನ್ನಡ मैथिली മലയാളം मराठी नेपाली 日本 語 ଓଡ଼ିଆ Русский संस्कृतम् Shqip தமிழ் اردو Winaray 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 9 October 2017, at 10 : 34. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who built kashi vishwanath temple varanasi in 16 century
Answer: Raja Todar Mal