The Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh: timings, where to sit, and getting there

What the aarti is

Aarti is an offering of light. At Dashashwamedh it is performed at the water's edge by a line of priests moving in unison - incense first, then many-tiered brass lamps swung in slow circles - to the sound of conch shells, bells and Sanskrit chant. It is offered to the river, and at its height the smoke, the flames and the sound all hang over the water.

Dashashwamedh's is the best-known aarti, but not the only one. Assi Ghat, at the southern end of the ghats, holds its own evening aarti, and at dawn it hosts Subah-e-Banaras, the city's morning ceremony.

Timings through the year

The aarti follows sunset, so its start moves with the seasons. The city's visitor guides consistently give these times:

April to September

Starts around 6:45 PM

October to March

Starts around 5:45 PM

Duration

About 45 minutes

Cost

Free. There is no ticket.

The exact start drifts by a few minutes across each season and can change on festival days. Ask the front desk for that day's time before you leave.

When to arrive

Earlier than you think. The ghat fills from about 5 PM in winter and 6 PM in summer, and the steps with a clear view are taken well before the first conch. Aim to be settled 45 minutes before the start - an hour on weekends, on holidays, and through the month of Kartik.

Steps or boat

From the steps you are close enough to feel the heat of the lamps and hear each priest. From a boat moored in front of the ghat you see the whole platform at once, doubled in the water - the view most photographs are taken from.

• Boats gather in front of the ghat before the aarti begins and stay moored through it. You can board at Dashashwamedh or a neighbouring ghat.
• The Varanasi Municipal Corporation fixed boat fares in January 2025 and displays the lists at the major ghats. Agree the fare before you step in, and ask for a life jacket.
• Fare complaints go to the help desk at the Kashi Integrated Command and Control Centre on toll-free 1533.
• If you would like the travel desk to book the boat, ask the night before.

Getting there from Shivpur

Hotel Vagmi is about 6 km by road from Dashashwamedh Ghat. Traffic around the old city thickens towards evening and vehicles are usually stopped short of the ghat, so expect to walk the last part through the market lanes. In winter, leaving the hotel at about 4:15 PM gets you onto the steps in good time; in summer, about 5:15 PM.

The travel desk arranges cabs both ways. Settle the pickup time and place with the driver before you walk down - when the aarti ends, everyone leaves at once.

Good to know

• People photograph the aarti from the steps and the boats. Keep the flash off and your elbows in.
• Keep valuables close. At its peak the crowd is shoulder to shoulder.
• Dev Deepawali, on 24 November 2026, is the aarti's grandest and busiest night - plan it separately.