Annapurna Devi Temple, Varanasi: Timings, Aarti and the Goddess of Nourishment Darshan Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐAnnapurna temple timings and darshan hours

The temple keeps long hours, opening at 4:00 AM for the Mangala aarti and running late into the night, with only brief pauses for cleaning and rituals around the middle of the day. Because it sits right next to Kashi Vishwanath, most pilgrims take darshan here as part of the same visit.

ॐAarti schedule at Annapurna Devi Temple

ॐThe legend: the goddess who feeds even Shiva

The story behind this temple is one of the most beloved in Kashi. Shiva, in his ascetic wisdom, once told Parvati that the whole material world, food included, was maya, mere illusion. To answer him, Parvati withdrew as Annapurna and food vanished from the earth, and a terrible famine set in. Seeing his creation suffer, Shiva himself came to Kashi as a beggar, bowl in hand, and sought alms from Annapurna. She fed him with her own hands, and he acknowledged that food is not illusion but the very sustenance of life. From that moment she vowed that no one in Kashi would ever go hungry, a promise devotees believe holds to this day.

This is why the goddess is shown holding a golden ladle and a jewelled bowl of rice, with Shiva before her as the seeker, an image you will not forget once you have stood before it. Her darshan is naturally paired with Kashi Vishwanath, which sits right beside this temple. See our guide to Kashi Vishwanath Temple for the darshan the two are done together with.

ॐThe golden idol, Annakoot, and the grains of wealth

Two idols of Annapurna sit in the sanctum, and the difference between them is the single most important thing to understand about visiting this temple.

Annakoot is when the temple truly comes alive. As part of the blessing, devotees are given prasad that is unusual and much loved: a small handful of rice grains, and at Annakoot a coin, known as khazana. The tradition is to take the rice home and mix it into your grain store, and to keep the coin safe, so that the household never wants for food or money. This is the grains of wealth that draws pilgrims from across the country, and it is the reason to plan around Annakoot if you can.

Planning an Annakoot visit

1. Time your trip for the day after Diwali, ideally the Dhanteras to Annakoot window, to see the golden idol.

2. Expect very heavy crowds and long queues; arrive early and keep your expectations realistic on timing.

3. Collect the rice grains and the khazana coin as prasad, and keep them for your home grain store.

4. Let us handle the timing, the gate and the route, since this is one of the busiest darshans of the Kashi year.

ॐAnnadanam: the free food tradition

It would be strange for the temple of the goddess of food not to feed people, and it does. The Sri Annapurna Mandir Charitable Trust runs an annadanam, a free meal service, for pilgrims through the day, historically from late morning into the afternoon and evening, with room for hundreds to sit and eat. It is a living expression of the goddess's promise that no one in Kashi goes hungry, and it is part of what makes a visit here feel different from a simple darshan. If you are moved to, a donation to the trust supports the kitchen.

ॐA darshan beside Kashi Vishwanath, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, Varanasi local

Almost nobody comes to Annapurna on its own; it sits a few steps from Kashi Vishwanath in the same narrow gali, and I bring my guests here right after the Jyotirlinga. I always tell them the story first, because it changes what they feel when they see the idol: the goddess with her golden ladle and her bowl of rice, and Shiva himself standing before her with a begging bowl. In a city that can feel overwhelming, this is the gentle, motherly counterpoint, the promise that in Kashi no one is left hungry.

If we are here around Diwali, everything is different. The golden idol comes out for those few days, the gali is packed, and the priests press a little rice and a khazana coin into your palm to carry home for prosperity. Banarasi families keep those grains in the kitchen for the whole year. And most days there is the free meal running nearby, the goddess feeding the city exactly as the legend says she promised.

In more than forty years of guiding, I have found that Annapurna is the darshan that softens people. They arrive to see the great Shiva temple and leave remembering the goddess who fed him.

ॐEntry, rules, and what to carry

Entry and conduct

• Entry is free. There is no official paid VIP ticket, though trust volunteers or a guide can help with entry on heavy rush days.

• Dress modestly and keep your voice low near the sanctum.

Photography and belongings

• Because the temple sits inside the Kashi Vishwanath security zone, phones, cameras and bags are often restricted; photography inside is generally not allowed. Deposit belongings in the lockers as you would for Kashi Vishwanath.

• Footwear comes off before entry; wear something easy to slip on and off.

What to carry

• A little cash for prasad and any donation to the free kitchen.

• Very little else, so you clear the security check quickly, as with Kashi Vishwanath.

ॐHow to reach Annapurna Devi Temple

The temple is in Vishwanath Gali in the old city, right beside Kashi Vishwanath near Gate No. 1, so if you can reach the Jyotirlinga you can reach Annapurna.

As with Kashi Vishwanath, vehicles cannot reach the temple door; the last stretch through the gali is on foot. We arrange a car to the nearest drop point and a guide who knows the lanes, so both temples flow as one visit.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with your Kashi Vishwanath darshan, since the two sit side by side.

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes on a normal day, far more during Annakoot.

For the old city darshan combined into one route, see our Varanasi tour packages.

ॐHistory, the idols, and why Annapurna matters

The present temple was built in 1729 by the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I, in the Nagara style, with a large pillared sanctum and carved entrances, though the worship of Annapurna in Kashi is far older. It is counted among the most important temples of the city, and it carries a deep place in the tradition: the goddess is associated with a Shakti Peetha, worshipped during Navratri as Mahagauri, and it is said that Adi Shankaracharya composed the Annapurna Stotram, the hymn beginning Annapoorne Sada Poorne, at this very place.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• The temple is in the tight old city gali reached on foot, the same approach as Kashi Vishwanath, which can be hard for those with limited mobility.

• Come early morning to avoid the crowds, and avoid Annakoot if a long queue is not manageable.

• We arrange a car to the nearest drop point and a guide to help through the lanes, the lockers, and the queue for both temples.

ॐNearby sacred sites to combine with your darshan

Annapurna sits in the heart of the old city temple cluster, so it pairs naturally with the Jyotirlinga, the Kotwal and the river.

The nearby Vishalakshi temple, a Shakti Peetha, is another old city stop, and to add the river to your day, see our evening Ganga aarti experience.

ॐSafety and practical tips

Annapurna sits in the busy Vishwanath Gali, so the pressures are the ones of the old city, plus the security around the neighbouring Jyotirlinga.

A guided visit removes the guesswork so you can focus on the darshan and the story.

ॐOur guided Varanasi visits including Annapurna

We are a Varanasi based operator, a unit of Experience My India, with more than forty years of guiding pilgrims across Kashi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. Entry to Annapurna is free, so what we arrange is the visit around it: transport to the nearest drop point, a local guide who knows the lanes and the legend, and the natural pairing with Kashi Vishwanath, with special help during Annakoot.

Inclusions and exclusions are stated up front, with any taxes and conditions, and no charge appears later that was not named.

Experience My India is a travel operator, not the temple administration. Prices are ours. Temple timings and rules are set by the temple trust and can change.