Annapurna Temple

History

Varanasi district’s temples-of-importance page places Annapurna immediately next to Kashi Vishwanath and notes her as the “Goddess of Fooding.” In local devotion she is the provider who feeds both gods and devotees in Shiva’s city.

With the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor linking the sanctum area to the Ganga, Annapurna remains a short walk within the same pilgrim precinct rather than a separate outing across town.

Stories

The goddess who fed the world

Two beliefs are told about the origin of this shrine. In one, Parvati closed Shiva's three eyes in play and the world fell into darkness. Her fair complexion faded, and Shiva told her to give out food in Varanasi, so she took the form of Annapurna with a golden pot and ladle.

In the other, Shiva called all food, like the world, maya, an illusion. Parvati withdrew all food from the earth, and hunger followed. Shiva came begging at her door, and she fed him with her own hands and opened a kitchen in Varanasi for her devotees.

A golden image seen once a year

The temple has two images of the goddess, one of brass and one of gold. The brass image is open for darshan every day. The golden image is shown only once a year, on Annakut day, when the festival draws crowds of devotees.

In the sanctum, the goddess sits on a lotus, and beside the brass image Shiva stands holding out his bowl for alms. The Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana is said to promise blessings to those who circle the shrine eight or 108 times.

Good to know

Beside Kashi Vishwanath, inside / near the corridor precinct

Devi Annapurna — goddess of food and nourishment

Naturally paired with Vishwanath darshan on the same circuit

Getting there

Annapurna is a short walk inside the Kashi Vishwanath temple zone — reach the corridor first, then walk across to her shrine.