“The Shivalinga at the Vishwanath temple is among one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The current temple was built in 1776 by Ahalya Bai of Indore with about 800 kg of gold plating on the towers.”
Also known as the Golden Temple, it is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity of the city. Varanasi is said to be the point at which the first Jyotirlinga, the fiery pillar of light by which Shiva manifested his supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth’s crust and flared towards the heavens. More than the Ghats and even the Ganga, the Shivalinga installed in the temple remains the devotional focus of Varanasi. Entry restricted for foreigners