Viśālākshī, “the wide-eyed one”, is the chief form of Śakti (the Devī) in Kāśī. She is set up at Viśāla Tīrtha on the bank of the Gaṅgā in Vārāṇasī, near the Viśvanātha temple. The tradition counts her as a great Śakti-pīṭha, linked with Kāmākshī of Kāñcī, Kāmākhyā of Assam and Mīnākshī of Madurai.

Chapter 70 of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Uttarārdha) tells how Nandī, at the word of Bhagavān Śiva, set up Viśālākshī and many other devīs and guardians at fixed places in Ānandavana to protect the holy city. The chapter gives their places, their work and their festival days. They run from Viśāla Tīrtha in the south to Bhīmacaṇḍī at the northern gate.

Viśālākshī at Viśāla Tīrtha

Bhagavān Śiva made the Viśāla Tīrtha in the Gaṅgā at Vārāṇasī. Beside it he set up Viśālākshī, the great giver of what a person holds dear. The devotee who bathes in Viśāla Tīrtha and bows to Viśālākshī gains great wealth and glory, here and after death.

Festival. The festival is on the third day of the dark half of Bhādra (August–September). Devotees keep awake through the night. In the morning they dress fourteen girls in garlands, clothes and ornaments and feed them. Then they keep the pāraṇa (the meal that ends the fast) with their sons and servants.

Viśālākshī gives these gifts:

a handsome husband of good qualities to women who are not yet married;
an excellent son to women who are carrying a child, and a child to women who have none;
great happiness in marriage to women who have lost it;
the promise that widows will not suffer widowhood in the next life.

(Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 70)

Lalitā at Lalitā Tīrtha

Lalitā Ghaṭa was once called Gaṅgā-Keśava Ghaṭa. Here the Devī Lalitā is the great protector of the holy place. She should be worshipped with care for the growth of all wealth, and nothing blocks the path of her devotees. Her festival day is the second day of the dark half of Āśvina. Bathing in Lalitā Tīrtha and bowing to Lalitā brings good fortune everywhere. (Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 70)

Viśvabhujā

The Devī Viśvabhujā, a form of Gaurī, stands in front of Viśālākshī. She destroys the great obstacles of all who are devoted to the holy place. Her time for pūjā is the Navarātri of the Śarat season, the nine days of the bright half of Āśvina. (Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 70)

The guardian devīs of Kāśī

Chapter 70 lists the protecting devīs placed at set spots around Kāśī.

Vārāhī. Near Kratuvārāha. She keeps people from sinking in the ocean of disaster.
Śivadūtī. She holds a raised trident, threatens enemies and guards Ānandavana.
Aindrī. South of Indreśa. She rides a mighty elephant, holds the thunderbolt and gives wealth.
Kaumārī. Near Skandeśvara. She rides a peacock.
Māheśvarī. South of Maheśvara. She rides a bull and gives wealth in cattle.
Narasiṃhī. Near Nirvāṇa-Narasiṃha. She holds a raised discus and helps those who seek moksha.
Brāhmī. West of Brahmeśa. She rides a swan and strikes down enemies with water from her kamaṇḍalu (water pot). Brāhmaṇas who seek knowledge of Brahman worship her.
Nārāyaṇī. West of Gopī-Govinda. She removes obstacles with the Śārṅga bow and gives a great rise in prosperity.
Virūpākshī (Gaurī). North of Devayānī. Worship of her gives the glory one wishes for.
Śaileśvarī. Near Śaileśvara. With her forefinger she threatens calamities.
Citraghaṇṭā. Near Citragupteśvara and Citrakūpa. Those who worship her are not reported against by Citragupta, even for many pāpas (sins). Her festival is the third day of the bright half of Caitra. Those who do not worship her meet thousands of obstacles.
Citragrivā. East of Citraṅgadeśvara. She keeps the devotee from seeing the torments of Yama.
Bhadrakālī. In front of Bhadranāga at Bhadravāpī. She keeps away what is inauspicious.
Harasiddhi. East of Siddhivināyaka. She gives all the great powers.
Nigaḍabhañjanī (Bandī). At Prayāga Tīrtha. She breaks fetters of every kind. She is worshipped on Tuesdays, with one meal only. Even kinsmen who live far away come back, and the bond of worldly life is cut.
Amṛteśvarī. Behind Paśupati, near Amṛteśvara at Amṛtakūpa. She gives deathlessness.
Siddhalakshmī. West of Amṛteśvara. She gives great powers.
Kubja. In front of Nalakubara. She frees the devotee from all calamities.
Trilokasundarī Gaurī. At Kubjāmbareśvara. She gives beauty beyond the three worlds. Worship of her prevents widowhood.
Diptā. Near Sarvāditya. Her devotees become full of bright splendour.
Mahālakshmī. Near Śrīkaṇṭha at Śrīkuṇḍa Tīrtha. Those who offer water there are never left by the Devī of wealth. Her festival is Mahālakshmyashṭamī.
Hayakaṇṭhī. North of Mahālakshmī. She holds an axe and cuts down the great trees of obstacles every day.
Kaurmī Śakti. South of Mahālakshmī. She holds a noose and binds heaps of obstacles.
Śikhī Caṇḍī. In the north-west. With a sound like a peacock she consumes obstacles. All illness ends when she visits.
Bhīmacaṇḍī. She guards the northern gate and is always alert. Bhīmakuṇḍa is next to her. Those who visit her never see the terrible messengers of Yama.
Cāgavaktreśvarī. South of Vṛshabhādhvaja. Day and night she eats the shoots of obstacles.
Tālajaṅgheśvarī. She takes a palm tree as her weapon and uproots clusters of obstacles in Ānandavana. She is worshipped south of Saṅgameśvara.
Yamadaṃshṭrā. At Uddālaka Tīrtha. She chews up the mass of obstacles. Those who bow to her never fear Yama.
Carmamuṇḍā. At Dārukeśvara Tīrtha. She has a terrible form, with a skull and a dagger, and guards the eastern part of the holy place from obstacles.
Mahāruṇḍā. Near Hayagrīveśvara, north of Lolārka. She is like Carmamuṇḍā but wears a garland of headless bodies. She guards the holy place.
Cāmuṇḍā. Between Carmamuṇḍā and Mahāruṇḍā. Worship of all three destroys calamities and gives wealth, food and sons, and in the end the glory of moksha.
Svapneśvarī. West of Mahāruṇḍā. She shows the future in dreams. She is worshipped on the eighth, ninth or fourteenth lunar day. The devotee who sleeps on bare ground after worshipping her at the Āsī confluence sees the future in a dream.
Durgā. West of Svapneśvarī. She always guards the southern side of the holy place.

(Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 70)

Sources

Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 70.