Home / Temples / New Vishwanath Temple (Birla Mandir, BHU)
Shiva TempleBuilt inside the Banaras Hindu University campus and funded by the Birla family, this temple was conceived as an accessible alternative to the old-city Kashi Vishwanath — same deity, same devotion, but open to everyone, at any hour, without the crowd.
The structure is a close architectural echo of the original Vishwanath temple, right down to a similarly proportioned shikhara, but built on open ground rather than tucked into narrow lanes. Madan Mohan Malaviya, who founded BHU, was closely involved in planning it, and it has operated as a place open to all visitors regardless of background since it was built — a point the temple is still known for locally.
Because it sits inside a large university campus, the approach is spacious and quiet compared to the old city, with gardens and walking paths around it. It's a good stop if you want a slower, less crowded darshan, or if your schedule already has you visiting BHU for its art museum or the campus itself.
The temple remains open late into the night, which makes it one of the few major Shiva temples in Varanasi where an evening visit doesn't mean fighting a queue.
Any time — it's rarely crowded, even in the evening
BHU's Bharat Kala Bhavan museum and the New Vishwanath Mandir gardens
Inside the BHU campus; autos and cycle-rickshaws go right up to the gate
Yes — it was built specifically to be open to all visitors, which is part of why it's historically significant, not just architecturally.
It's on the southern edge of the city, roughly a 25–30 minute drive from Dashashwamedh Ghat depending on traffic.
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