Vishalakshi Shakti Peeth, Varanasi

At a glance

Location

Near Mir Ghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Presiding deity

Goddess Vishalakshi / Manikarni (Bhairava: Kala Bhairaveshwar)

Temple type

Shakti Peeth

Tradition

Shakta

Nearest railway station

Varanasi Junction (~5 km); Banaras (Manduadih) station (~7 km)

Nearest airport

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi (~25 km)

Best time to visit

October to March. Navratri and Kajali Teej bring the heaviest crowds.

History

Tradition holds that the **gem from Sati's right earring** (*manikarna*) fell here, which is why the goddess is also called Manikarni. The temple sits near Mir Ghat, roughly 250 metres north-west of the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Its rank in the Shakti Peetha lists shifts depending on the text: the *Devi Bhagavata Purana* names Vishalakshi as the **first** of 108 peethas, the *Tantrachudamani* places her 23rd among 51, and some later lists demote the site to an upa-peetha. The present building dates to 1893, and has been built and maintained since the nineteenth century by the **Nattukottai Nagarathar** merchant community of Tamil Nadu — which is why the architecture mixes North Indian haveli features with South Indian ones.

Spiritual significance

Kashi is one of the places where a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha stand together — Vishwanath and Vishalakshi. Tradition treats darshan of Vishalakshi as what completes a visit to Kashi Vishwanath. The main annual festival here is **Kajali Teej**, on the third day of the waning fortnight of Bhadrapada, marking the end of the monsoon.

Plan your visit

Varanasi is connected by train and air to every major Indian city. The temple lies in the narrow lanes around Vishwanath Gali where vehicles can't go — take an auto to Godowlia or Dashashwamedh Ghat and walk from there. It's a few minutes on foot from the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.