VARANASI: Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple's administration said on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, that ticket bookings would pause after the afternoon Shringar Bhog Aarti on Monday, November 9, until the evening Saptarishi Aarti on Tuesday, November 10, for Annakut preparations. The announcement affects people arranging paid services at the temple near Bansphatak.
Temple SDM Shambhu Sharan said the temple would remain open for devotees on Dhanteras and Diwali, with online booking available during those festivals. The announced suspension covers all ticket categories during the specified November 9 to 10 interval. It should be considered when choosing a service date.
Residents helping visiting relatives should check the Trust's official booking page before making arrangements around a paid darshan or aarti. The announcement describes its endpoints by the two rituals, without giving clock times. For clarification about a particular booking, use the Trust's listed support numbers, 6393131608 and 7080292930.
What changes for November 9 and 10
The administration links the temporary pause to arrangements for Annakut. Its statement says other services and arrangements will continue normally on the remaining days. The report does not announce a longer festival shutdown or a suspension covering the whole Diwali week.
The distinction matters when a family is combining temple worship with travel or other visits. Someone planning a ticketed service during the stated interval should confirm the position before paying. The statement does not set out a separate procedure for an existing booking affected by that interval, so a refund or automatic transfer should not be assumed.
- Announcement: Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
- Pause begins: after the afternoon Shringar Bhog Aarti, November 9.
- Pause ends: at the evening Saptarishi Aarti, November 10.
- Reason given: Annakut preparations.
- Dhanteras and Diwali: temple access and online booking continue, according to the administration.
What the official booking page offers
The Trust's service list separates Sugam Darshan, Rudrabhishek and aarti bookings. Its aarti section names Mangla Aarti, Mid Day Bhog Aarti, Sapt Rishi Aarti and Shringaar or Bhog Aarti. Visitors should match the service they want with the actual date offered on that page, rather than relying on the general service list as proof of availability.
At the time of checking, the page listed Sugam Darshan at Rs 300 and Mangla Aarti at Rs 500. Mid Day Bhog Aarti, Sapt Rishi Aarti and Shringaar or Bhog Aarti were each listed at Rs 300. These are the displayed service amounts; the list does not itself establish an available ticket for a particular festival date.
The booking interface asks for the puja or darshan title, date and number of people, with an availability check. It also displays sign in options. Readers can inspect the public information before proceeding with their own arrangements. The new announcement concerns when bookings pause, while the service page explains which categories the Trust ordinarily lists.
For people who are unable to visit, the Trust homepage also lists a free live darshan feed from the sanctum. This provides an alternative way to view worship remotely. It is a separately listed service, and should not be confused with a paid ticket or a reservation for entry to the temple.
What residents should do
For help on site, the official help desk directory lists locations at Bansphatak, near Gate No. 4, Shankaracharya Chowk, Mandir Parisar, Saraswati Fatak and the ramp building at Bhairav Ghat in Vishwanath Dham. The Bansphatak location is explicitly marked as operating around the clock.
The support number 7080292930 is shown with hours of 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on the official service page. Use the help desk to resolve uncertainty about ritual based cutoffs or an existing payment. The Trust's payment policy says a failed or duplicate payment is examined with the payment gateway before action is taken.
Other listed service categories
The same booking page lists Rudrabhishek with one Shastri at Rs 450, five Shastris at Rs 1,380 and 11 Shastris at Rs 2,600. Its one-Shastri video-conference version is displayed at Rs 700. The long-term Twenty Years Rudrabhishek entry carries a listed amount of Rs 25,000.
Other categories include daily Sanyasi Bhojan at Rs 3,000 and the Monday version at Rs 4,500. Akhand Deep is listed at Rs 700, Satyanarayan Katha at Rs 500 and Every Purnima Shringaar at Rs 3,700. The Mahamrityunjaya Jap Puja entry specifies five days and seven Shastris, with Rs 51,000 displayed.
Keep other city programmes separate when planning the visit. Our reports on the Odisha pilgrim train programme, tourism activity at Namo Ghat and Bharat Kala Bhavan visitor closure provide dated local background. Their schedules do not determine availability of temple tickets.
