A heat generating portion of a heater which is incorporated in an indirectly heated cathode structure of an electron gun for a cathode ray tube is formed by joining a first winding portion and a second winding portion which differ in the number of coil winding layers and by twisting and winding a joined body in a double helical structure. The present invention allows a cathode temperature to have a high temperature and hence, it is possible to enhance the electron irradiation characteristics even when a degree of in-tube vacuum is lowered.