Vishwanath temple, one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated in the oldest living city in the world and cultural capital of India, Varanasi. It is also called as Kashi Vishwanath temple. It is believed to be the holiest existing place of Hindus and is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Though the original temple was built in 490 AD, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The existing structure was built in 1780 by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore, the Maratha queen of Malwa kingdom. The gold that covers the spires of the temple was a gift from the Sikh ruler of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.