HinduTemple
Annapurna Devi Mandirअन्नपूर्णा देवी मंदिर
A few steps from Kashi Vishwanath stands the temple of Annapurna, Parvati as the goddess of food and, in the city's telling, the queen of Kashi. The story has Shiva himself coming to her with a begging bowl after declaring food an illusion. Peshwa Baji Rao I built the present temple in 1729. Its free kitchen feeds pilgrims daily; the golden image of the goddess is shown only around Annakut, the day after Diwali.
Tips
- Pilgrims take darshan at Vishwanath first and Annapurna immediately after; the same no-phone rules apply.
- An 18th-century Annapurna image, taken from Varanasi in 1913 and returned by Canada's University of Regina, was installed in the Vishwanath Dham in November 2021.
How to reach
- 2.9 km from Varanasi Junction (Cantt) station in a straight line
- 21.9 km from Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in a straight line
- 0.3 km from Godowlia crossing, where cars stop for the old city in a straight line
Straight-line distances; by road through the lanes it is further.
Sources: Wikipedia — Annapurna Devi Mandir · MacKenzie Art Gallery / University of Regina — Stolen statue of Hindu goddess makes long-awaited journey home · OpenStreetMap — Annapurna Temple (coordinates)
