Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the principal Jyotirlinga of Varanasi (ancient Kashi), the city Hindus regard as the most sacred on Earth — a place where dying is believed to grant moksha (liberation from rebirth). The temple has been demolished and rebuilt across two millennia: the present structure was built in 1780 by Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar after the previous temple was demolished by Aurangzeb's order in 1669 (the Gyanvapi Mosque now stands on the original site, a continuing site of dispute). The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, opened in 2021 by PM Modi, expanded the temple complex from 0.3 acres to 5 acres with a connecting path between the Ganga river ghats and the sanctum, removing dozens of encroaching structures. The corridor handles the modern surge in pilgrim numbers — 70,000 to 200,000 daily, depending on the calendar. Maha Shivratri, Sawan Mondays, and the Dev Deepavali (15 days after Diwali) are the busiest periods.