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Kashi · काशी
Entrance gate of Markandey Mahadev Temple with its name in Hindi, Kaithi, Varanasi
HinduTemple

Markandey Mahadev Temple, Kaithiमार्कण्डेय महादेव मंदिर, कैथी

  • Timings05:00–22:30
  • EntryNo ticket reported
  • Time neededHalf day from Varanasi (1 h at the temple)
  • Best timeEarly morning, with a stop at the Ganga–Gomti sangam first; Sawan (Jul–Aug) Mondays and Mahashivratri are the most crowded

A Shiva temple at Kaithi village, where the Gomti meets the Ganga, about 28–30 km from Varanasi on the Ghazipur road.

Visit at a glance

Timings and fees are not confirmed from an official source; check before you go.

Good to know

  • Allow half a day: hire a car or taxi from Varanasi along the Varanasi–Ghazipur highway; the nearest station is Aunrihar Junction, about 8 km away.
  • Couples come here praying for children, especially on Trayodashi; Rudrabhishek and Mahamrityunjaya japa can be arranged with the temple priests.
  • In Sawan and on Mahashivratri, queues stretch for hours; set out before dawn and carry water.
Read the full story

It is held to enshrine the linga the boy sage Markandeya embraced when Yama came for him. Mondays draw thousands, and the month-long Sawan fair and Mahashivratri bring devotees from across Purvanchal for jalabhishek.

Rishi Mrikandu and Marudvati, granted a son by Shiva, chose a wise son with a short life over a long-lived ordinary one. When Yama came for Markandeya at sixteen, the boy clung to the linga, and Shiva emerged as Kalantaka, the ender of time, and struck death back to protect his devotee.

Sources: Kashi Official Web Portal (kashi.gov.in) — Markandey Mahadev Temple · Markandey Mahadev Kaithi — contact page with map (25.5026, 83.1589) · Patrika — Markandeya Mahadev temple, Sawan mela and the legend (11 Jul 2025) · Amar Ujala — Markandey Mahadev, Kaithi: 30 km from Varanasi, Sawan crowds (5 Aug 2025) · Markandey Mahadev Kaithi — temple information site (28 km by road, 8 km from Aunrihar, 04:00–23:00)

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