CM Yogi Seeks Blessings at Kashi Vishwanath on Shravan
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the most sacred Monday of Shravan 2026, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made his way to the ancient ghats of Varanasi for darshan-pujan (worship and beholding of the deity) at Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple — one of Hinduism's twelve Jyotirlingas and arguably its most revered Shiva shrine.
CM Yogi opened his post with the classical Sanskrit invocation 'Karpuragauram Karunavtaram...' — a timeless verse extolling Lord Shiva as the camphor-white, compassionate lord adorned with the serpent-king, ever-dwelling in the lotus of the heart alongside Goddess Bhavani. The verse is among the most widely recited Shiva stotras in the Hindu tradition.
The sacred weight of Shravan in Kashi
Shravan, the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, is considered the holiest period for Shiva worship. Devotees across India observe fasts, undertake pilgrimages, and offer jal abhishek (ritual water-pouring) at Shiva temples throughout the month. Varanasi — the city Lord Shiva is said to inhabit eternally — draws millions of pilgrims during Shravan, its lanes filling with saffron-clad kanwariyas carrying Ganga water from Haridwar to offer at the lingam.
The Kashi Vishwanath temple itself carries centuries of history. Reconstructed in the 18th century by Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar, its golden spire remains one of the most recognisable silhouettes on the Ganga skyline. The adjacent Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, inaugurated in 2021, dramatically expanded pilgrims' access to the temple complex.
A prayer for national prosperity and individual well-being
In his post, CM Yogi offered a layered prayer: that Lord Bholenath's boundless grace bring welfare to all creation, that the nation advance continuously on the path of glory, and that every person's life be filled with happiness, peace, prosperity, and good health. He closed with the invocation 'Har-Har Mahadev' — the battle-cry and devotional salutation synonymous with Shiva worship in Varanasi.
The visit underscores the personal religious dimension that Yogi Adityanath, himself the head of the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur, brings to public life — a Nath Sampraday monk who has held the chief ministership of India's most populous state since 2017. For his supporters, the Shravan pilgrimage to Kashi is both a personal act of devotion and a public affirmation of the state's deep Shaivite heritage.