Temple visitor guide

New Vishwanath Temple (Birla Mandir), BHU: Timings and Visitor Guide

The Shri Vishwanath Temple is a temple of Lord Shiva at the centre of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus, known as the New Vishwanath Temple or VT, and to many visitors as Birla Mandir. Opening hours, as listed by Incredible India, are in the timings section below. It is a different temple from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the old city.

Quick facts

From official sources, read on 17 October 2026.

Name used by BHU: Shri Vishwanath Temple
Also listed as: New Vishwanath Temple (Varanasi district administration and Incredible India), VT Mandir (Varanasi Smart City Kashi portal)
Names visitors commonly use: Birla Mandir, नया विश्वनाथ मंदिर
Deity: Lord Shiva
Where: at the centre of the Banaras Hindu University campus
Listed hours: morning and afternoon-evening sessions with a midday break, as listed by Incredible India; see the timings section below and confirm locally
Run by: Banaras Hindu University (BHU)

Birla Mandir BHU timings

Incredible India, the Ministry of Tourism’s portal, lists the temple’s opening time as below. The page shows no date; we read it on 17 October 2026.

Timings change on festival days, so confirm locally. Hours published elsewhere for this temple do not all agree, and we have not yet been able to confirm aarti names and times with the temple office, so we do not list them. You can ask at the temple, or ask us on WhatsApp.

Morning: 4:00 am to 12:00 pm
Midday: closed for one hour between the two sessions (as listed)
Afternoon and evening: 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm

What the New Vishwanath Temple is

Birla Mandir, VT or Shri Vishwanath Temple: one temple, several names

Banaras Hindu University calls it the Shri Vishwanath Temple. The Varanasi district administration and Incredible India list it as the New Vishwanath Temple, and the Varanasi Smart City Kashi portal gives its address as VT Mandir, on the BHU campus. Names visitors commonly use include Birla Mandir and, in Hindi, नया विश्वनाथ मंदिर.

Documented history

BHU says the temple’s detailed planning was done by Malaviyaji (Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the university’s founder) himself, and that it is built with white marble. The Varanasi district administration calls it a modern place of worship planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the Birlas. Incredible India adds that Malaviya wished to build a replica of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir on the campus, and that the Birla family laid the foundation in 1931 and completed the temple in 1966. The BHU and district pages we read give no dates.

Who runs it

BHU says the temple is staffed by people employed by the university and is run with the university’s budgetary support. The university has a temple manager post for its management and administration.

Inside the temple

BHU describes a Shiva Lingam inside the temple, with verses from Hindu scriptures inscribed on its walls alongside pictures, and gardens around the temple. Incredible India says the walls carry verses from the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures, that the complex has nine other shrines besides Lord Shiva’s, and gives the temple’s height as 77 metres.

In tradition: why it is called Vishwanath

In Hindu tradition, Vishwanath, ‘Lord of the Universe’, is a name of Lord Shiva, and Kashi is held to be Shiva’s own city. These are matters of faith, not documented history. The temple’s name echoes the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir in the old city, which Incredible India says Malaviya dreamt of replicating on the campus.

Not the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the old city

The Varanasi district administration lists the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the New Vishwanath Temple as two separate temples. For darshan at Kashi Vishwanath in the old city, see our Kashi Vishwanath Temple guide.

Where VT is on the BHU campus

BHU says the temple stands at the centre of its campus, so you reach it after entering the university through one of its gates. Campus entry rules and gate timings are set by the university and are not covered here; ask at the gate, or ask us before you set out.

Combining VT with nearby sights

BHU’s museum is Bharat Kala Bhavan; check its own hours.

The Sankat Mochan Temple is about 3.1 km by road from VT, and the Durga Temple at Durgakund is about 3.4 km by road. Assi Ghat, on the Ganga, is about 4.0 km by road. The Sant Ravidas Janmasthan Mandir is about 5.1 km by road.

For more places to visit, see our tourist places in Varanasi list and the full Varanasi guide.

Hotel Vinayak Plaza: visiting VT from the hotel

From the hotel: VT is about 3.3 km by road from Hotel Vinayak Plaza, about 12 minutes in a Google Maps reading on 5 October 2026 (traffic varies). Our reception is staffed 24×7 and can book an auto or a cab for you.

Phone calls are answered 24×7 on +91 91992 67480 (enquiries), or message us on WhatsApp to ask about rooms for your visit dates. Visiting BHU for admissions, exams or a conference? See stays near the BHU campus. The hotel is on Sankat Mochan Road; see staying near Sankat Mochan Temple, or see the rooms.

Address: Sankat Mochan Rd, near Sankat Mochan Temple, Saket Nagar Colony, Sankata Mochan Leprosy, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221010. Contact the hotel.

Call +91 91992 67480

Questions about the New Vishwanath Temple

What are the Birla Mandir BHU timings?

Incredible India lists the temple as open 4:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm (undated page, read 17 October 2026). Timings change on festival days, so confirm locally.

Does the New Vishwanath Temple at BHU close in the afternoon?

Yes, for a short time. Incredible India’s listing shows a one-hour break at midday between the morning and afternoon-evening sessions (see the timings above). Confirm locally, especially on festival days.

Is the Vishwanath Temple at BHU the same as Kashi Vishwanath Temple?

No. The Varanasi district administration lists them as two separate temples. The New Vishwanath Temple is on the BHU campus; Kashi Vishwanath is in the old city.

Why is the Naya Vishwanath Mandir called Birla Mandir?

Many visitors call it Birla Mandir. The district says it was built by the Birlas, and Incredible India says the Birla family laid its foundation in 1931 and completed it in 1966. BHU calls it the Shri Vishwanath Temple and says Malaviyaji did its detailed planning.

Where is the New Vishwanath Temple?

BHU says the temple is at the centre of the Banaras Hindu University campus, so you enter the campus through one of the university’s gates to reach it. From Hotel Vinayak Plaza it is about 3.3 km by road.

बीएचयू का नया विश्वनाथ मंदिर कितने बजे खुलता है?

Incredible India के अनुसार मंदिर सुबह 4:00 बजे से दोपहर 12:00 बजे तक और दोपहर 1:00 बजे से रात 9:00 बजे तक खुला रहता है (इस पेज पर कोई तारीख नहीं दी गई है; हमने इसे 17 अक्टूबर 2026 को पढ़ा)। त्योहार के दिनों में समय बदल जाता है, इसलिए वहाँ स्थानीय रूप से पुष्टि कर लें।