Even for seasoned travellers, Varanasi can be a challenging journey. You will experience a complete culture shock there, and you will not forget it quickly. This is not a city that offers itself easily. It reveals itself in layers — through the morning mist on the Ganga, through the sound of temple bells at dawn, through the sight of a body being carried to Manikarnika Ghat, through a sadhu lost in meditation on a crumbling ghat wall, through a cup of chai shared with a stranger who turns out to be a Sanskrit scholar.
You will feel something in this holy city that will be both humbling and disorienting — a roller coaster for your emotions and your assumptions about what life is for. This is by design. Varanasi is not designed to be comfortable. It is designed to wake you up.
This comprehensive guide covers seven essential things every traveller needs to know before visiting Varanasi — from the spiritual significance of the ghats to the best street food, from how to experience Ganga Aarti correctly to how to arrange sacred rituals like Pind Daan and Asthi Visarjan. Whether you are a first-time pilgrim or a repeat visitor, this guide will prepare you for Kashi on every level.
1. Expect the Unexpected — Varanasi Operates by Its Own Logic
This town is unlike any other. Varanasi will not appeal to you if you require predictability, linear logic, or a tidy itinerary. It is crumbling, poetic, and startling. Everyday sights include goats wearing sweaters, elderly men completing their ritual dips in the Ganga at 5 AM, boys flying kites from terrace rooftops, dogs sleeping on temple steps, and the gentle smoke from the eternal funeral pyres at Manikarnika Ghat rising into a sky that seems to hold a different quality of light than anywhere else in India.
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India and one of the holiest of the seven sacred cities for Hindus — the Saptapuri. It holds deep significance for Buddhists as well, since the Buddha delivered his first sermon at nearby Sarnath. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, with a documented history spanning more than three thousand years. And yet it has never stopped living. It has assimilated conquests, dynasties, philosophies, and foreign visitors into a single dense metropolitan reality that cannot be reduced to a hashtag or a guidebook entry.
The one essential attitude to cultivate before you arrive: let go of your schedule. Varanasi will give you what you need, not necessarily what you planned. Accept this, and the city will reward you far beyond expectations.
What Varanasi Is (And Is Not)
Varanasi is simultaneously a place of death and of extraordinary vitality. It is the city where Hindus most desire to die — the belief, documented in texts like the Kashi Khand of the Skanda Purana, is that Lord Shiva himself whispers the Taraka Mantra (the mantra of liberation) into the ear of anyone who dies within the sacred precincts of Kashi. Death here is not tragedy — it is graduation. This theological context explains everything else about how the city operates: with a kind of casualness about mortality that visitors find either deeply liberating or profoundly unsettling.
2. The Ghats: The Heart of Varanasi That No Cab Can Reach
Walk instead of riding a tuk-tuk. The city’s true centre is located on its ghats — the stepped embankments that descend to the Ganga’s edge. There are eighty-four ghats in Varanasi, stretching approximately five kilometres along the river’s western bank. Each has its own history, mythology, and community. The only way to understand the city’s layered cultures is to walk the linear path from ghat to ghat.
Key Ghats to Visit
Dashashwamedh Ghat is the most famous and most visited — it is here that the spectacular Ganga Aarti takes place every evening. The name derives from a legend that Lord Brahma performed the Dashashwamedha Yagna (sacrifice of ten horses) here to welcome Lord Shiva. The evening Aarti, performed by multiple priests simultaneously with large camphor-flame lamps, flowers, conch shells, and the chanting of Vedic hymns, is one of the most visually and spiritually powerful ceremonies in India.
Manikarnika Ghat is the most sacred burning ghat in Varanasi — approximately 40,000 funeral pyres are lit here annually, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The Dom community maintains the eternal fire that has reportedly never been extinguished for thousands of years. One of the legends surrounding Manikarnika holds that Goddess Parvati dropped her earring (mani = jewel, karnika = earring) while bathing at a well on the ghat. Shiva was commanded to find it and told not to leave until he did. Shiva is still here. That is why Varanasi is Shiva’s city.
Assi Ghat, at the southern end of the ghat chain, is where the Assi river meets the Ganga. It is traditionally the first ghat of Varanasi and the most important for snan (sacred bathing), as the Kashi Khand of the Skanda Purana specifically names it. It is also the cultural hub of Varanasi’s intellectual and artistic community. The morning aarti here is more intimate than Dashashwamedh and worth attending for those who prefer contemplation over spectacle.
Harishchandra Ghat is the second burning ghat, older than Manikarnika in some accounts. It is named after the legendary King Harishchandra, who worked here as a cremation attendant after being stripped of his kingdom by Vishwamitra — and whose steadfast adherence to truth through extreme suffering is one of the foundational stories of Hindu ethics.
Raja Ghat is one of the principal ghats for Pind Daan in Varanasi. Families performing ancestral rites — Shradh, Pind Daan, and Tarpan — typically engage a pandit at Raja Ghat or the nearby Pishachmocha Tirth. If you are visiting Varanasi for ancestral rituals, Raja Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat are your primary destinations.
How to Experience the Ghats Correctly
Start your ghat walk before sunrise. The early morning light on the Ganga — especially in winter, when mist rises from the river — is one of the genuinely transformative visual experiences available anywhere in India. Walk from Assi Ghat northward. Stop at each ghat, read the name board if available, and observe whatever is happening: a yoga class, a barber shaving a mourner’s head before funeral rites, a group performing tarpan (water libations for ancestors), a family conducting a mundan (first haircut ceremony), a sadhu in meditation.
Do not photograph funeral pyres at Manikarnika without permission — it is considered deeply disrespectful and may result in confrontation. Photographs of bathing devotees at other ghats should also be taken with sensitivity and without intruding on private ritual moments.
3. The Ganga Aarti: When to Go and How to Experience It Properly
Dashashwamedh Ghat’s evening Ganga Aarti is justifiably world-famous. Held every evening at sunset (timings vary slightly seasonally — approximately 7:00 PM in summer, 6:00 PM in winter), it is a coordinated ceremony performed by seven priests simultaneously, each holding massive tiered lamps called diyas that are rotated in circular patterns while the entire ghat falls into a concentrated collective silence, broken only by the sound of conch shells, bells, and Sanskrit chanting.
Practical Tips for the Ganga Aarti
- Arrive early: Reach Dashashwamedh Ghat at least 45–60 minutes before the Aarti begins. The best viewing positions — directly in front of the priests on the central ghat — fill up quickly.
- Watch from a boat: Renting a small wooden rowboat for the Aarti gives you an unobstructed view of all seven priests simultaneously and a magical perspective on the lamp-lit ghat against the dark river. Negotiate the boat price in advance — it should be between Rs. 200–500 per person for the duration of the Aarti (approximately 45 minutes).
- Attend the morning Aarti too: The sunrise Aarti at Dashashwamedh, held around 5:30–6:00 AM, is quieter, less crowded, and arguably more spiritually charged than the evening version. It is less photographed and more genuinely devotional in character.
- Dress modestly: Cover your shoulders and knees when attending any religious ceremony on the ghats. Bringing a dupatta or shawl is advisable.
After the evening Aarti, the ghats remain alive for hours — flower sellers, food vendors, musicians, and chai stalls create a festive atmosphere that continues well past midnight in the tourist season.
4. Sacred Rituals Available in Varanasi: Pind Daan, Asthi Visarjan, and More
Many visitors come to Varanasi not simply as tourists but as pilgrims with specific sacred purposes. Varanasi is one of India’s most important centres for post-death rituals — particularly Pind Daan (the offering of rice balls for departed ancestors), Asthi Visarjan (immersion of cremation ashes), and Tarpan (water libations for ancestors).
Pind Daan in Varanasi
Pind Daan in Varanasi is performed primarily at Pishachmocha Tirth and Raja Ghat. The Kashi Khand of the Skanda Purana specifically endorses Varanasi as one of the three most sacred sites for Pind Daan in India — alongside Gaya and Prayagraj. The belief is that Pind Daan performed at Varanasi’s sacred ghats carries the added power of Kashi’s liberation energy, providing the departed soul not merely with rest but with the possibility of mukti (liberation).
For families visiting during Pitrupaksha — the sixteen-day period in Bhadrapada month dedicated to ancestral rites — Varanasi pandits can arrange the complete Pind Daan ceremony including all ritual materials, priest services, and the proper Sanskrit mantras and invocations. Book your pandit in advance during the Pitrupaksha period as demand is extremely high.
Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi
For families who have completed the funeral rites and are carrying the cremation ashes (asthi) of a departed loved one, Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi — immersing the ashes in the Ganga — is considered one of the most liberating acts a family can perform for the deceased. The Ganga at Varanasi is held to be Vishnu’s own body in liquid form, and immersion of ashes in her sacred waters is said to ensure the departed soul’s liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
Asthi Visarjan is performed from the main ghats, typically Manikarnika, Harishchandra, or Dashashwamedh, under the guidance of a qualified pandit who performs the accompanying mantras and rituals. The entire ceremony takes 60–90 minutes and can be arranged with advance notice through our team at Prayag Pandits.
Dev Deepawali and Deep Daan at Varanasi
If your visit to Varanasi coincides with Kartik Purnima (the full moon of the Kartik month, typically in October–November), you will witness the Dev Deepawali at Varanasi — the night when all eighty-four ghats are illuminated with earthen lamps, creating one of the most spectacularly beautiful sights in India. This is also one of the most sacred occasions for Deep Daan at the ghats — see our complete guide to Deep Daan for more details on how to perform the ritual correctly.
5. Food in Varanasi: A City That Feeds the Soul and the Stomach
Varanasi is one of the greatest cities for food in all of India. But it operates on its own food logic: dessert is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, cream is applied to almost everything, and the best meals are eaten standing at a street stall rather than seated at a restaurant.
What to Eat in Varanasi
Banarasi Paan is perhaps the single most iconic consumable item in Varanasi. The paan made here — with specific betel leaves grown in the Benares region, combined with lime paste, betel nut, gulkand (rose petal preserve), and various spices — is considered India’s finest. Try the Meetha Paan (sweet paan) at any ghat-side vendor.
Malaiyo is a magical winter specialty — a frothy, saffron-tinged sweet made from milk cream that has been aerated overnight in the winter cold. It is available only from November to February and dissolves on the tongue. Find it at the stalls near the ghats early in the morning.
Kachori Sabzi is the quintessential Banarasi breakfast: flaky, deep-fried kachoris (stuffed bread) served with a spiced potato and tomato sabzi. The version at Kashi Chaat Bhandar near Dashashwamedh Ghat is widely regarded as the standard to judge all others by.
Lassi in Varanasi is a full meal in itself. Served in clay kulhads, topped with thick cream, and available in plain, sweet, rose, and thandai flavours — the Banarasi lassi at Blue Lassi or Keshari Lassi near Vishwanath Gali is thick enough to stand a spoon in. The popular yoghurt beverage comes sweet with even sweeter rabdi (flour and sugar) cooked slowly in a wok until thickened.
Tikki ke Chaat — fried potato cutlets topped with mint chutney, tamarind paste, yoghurt, and sev — is the defining street snack. Combined with kachori sabzi, it makes for a complete street-food tour that costs less than Rs. 100 and far exceeds any formal restaurant meal in flavour and character.
Important Food Note for Pilgrims
If you are visiting Varanasi for sacred purposes — Pind Daan, Asthi Visarjan, Shradh — observe the customary dietary restrictions before and during the rituals. Avoid meat, alcohol, and onion/garlic for at least the day of the ceremony. Most dharmashalas near the ghats serve simple sattvic (pure) food suitable for pilgrims performing rites.
6. Language, Culture, and How Varanasi Talks to Strangers
If you encounter a person reading Nietzsche while wrapped in a shawl, using French, do not be surprised. The Banarasis are genuinely multilingual. Varanasi receives approximately 200,000 foreign visitors annually, and its residents — particularly those who live and work near the ghats — have adapted with remarkable efficiency, picking up phrases, sentences, and sometimes full conversational fluency in European languages. It is entirely possible to meet a 12-year-old who speaks excellent French, or a rickshaw driver who quotes German philosophy.
The dominant foreign language is English, followed by Japanese, German, French, and Spanish. The cultural tendency toward philosophy is not merely a gimmick for tourists — it is embedded in the city’s DNA. Varanasi is home to Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of Asia’s largest residential universities, and to the oldest traditions of Vedic learning in the country. Scholars, sadhus, and students have converged here for centuries. The result is a city that takes ideas seriously even in casual conversation.
The Pandits of Varanasi
Varanasi’s pandits — the hereditary priests who have served at the ghats and temples for generations — are a category unto themselves. Many families have served at the same ghat for ten, fifteen, or twenty generations. Their knowledge of Sanskrit, of ritual procedure, and of the pilgrims who have passed through their families’ care is encyclopaedic. When engaging a pandit for any religious purpose in Varanasi, always ask for their family name and ghat affiliation — these are the credentials of genuine authority in this city.
7. Practical Travel Information: Getting There, Getting Around, and Staying Safe
How to Reach Varanasi
By Air: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) is located 25 km from the city centre. Direct flights connect Varanasi to Delhi (1.5 hours), Mumbai (2 hours), Bengaluru (2.5 hours), Kolkata (1.5 hours), and several other Indian cities. International connections are limited but growing. Pre-paid taxi booths at the airport charge Rs. 500–700 to the ghat area.
By Train: Varanasi Junction (BSB) is the main station, connected to Delhi (overnight trains: 12–14 hours), Lucknow (3.5 hours), Prayagraj (1.5 hours), and Kolkata (12 hours). The Kashi Vishwanath Express, Poorva Express, and Shiv Ganga Express are popular trains from Delhi. Manduadih station (now renamed Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction nearby) is closer to the ghats for some routes. Book train tickets well in advance during Pitrupaksha, Diwali, and Dev Deepawali periods.
By Road: Varanasi is 320 km from Lucknow (approximately 5 hours), 130 km from Prayagraj (2 hours), and 780 km from Delhi (approximately 12 hours by road). The Purvanchal Expressway connects Varanasi to Lucknow and beyond with good road conditions.
Getting Around Within Varanasi
The ghat area is best navigated on foot — the narrow lanes (galis) leading to most ghats are inaccessible to motor vehicles. E-rickshaws serve the wider city for short distances (Rs. 20–50 per trip). Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws cover longer distances. Apps like Ola and Uber operate in Varanasi but may not always reach the ghat-side areas.
For visiting Sarnath (12 km), the Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex, Banaras Hindu University, or the Ramnagar Fort across the river, engage a prepaid auto or a day-hire taxi (Rs. 1,200–1,500 for a full day covers most major sites).
Best Time to Visit Varanasi
Varanasi is an all-year destination but the most comfortable visiting period is October to March. Winters (December–January) are cold and atmospheric, with morning mist on the Ganga creating some of the most memorable visual experiences in India. The Pitrupaksha period (September) and Dev Deepawali (October–November) are the most sacred times for pilgrims. Summer (April–June) is extremely hot (45°C+) and the monsoon (July–September) brings flooding along the ghats, but the festival calendar remains active year-round.
Safety and Common Scams
Varanasi is generally safe for travellers, but a few well-documented situations are worth knowing:
- Silk shop touts near the ghats: Varanasi is world-famous for Banarasi silk. Boys and young men near Manikarnika and Dashashwamedh will frequently offer to take you to their “uncle’s shop” or a “cultural programme” that turns into a high-pressure silk-buying session. Politely decline and continue walking.
- Boat price negotiation: Always agree on the boat price before boarding. Fair prices (2026): Rs. 150–300 per person for a 30-minute ride; Rs. 500–800 for Aarti viewing duration. Prices spike on Diwali and Dev Deepawali — negotiate firmly.
- Fake pandits: Not every person wearing a dhoti and tilak near the ghats is a qualified priest. For Pind Daan, Asthi Visarjan, or any formal ritual, engage a pandit through an established service rather than accepting an approach from a stranger on the ghat. Our team at Prayag Pandits can arrange qualified, vetted pandits for all rituals in Varanasi.
- Water and hygiene: Do not drink Ganga water directly. Keep hand sanitiser with you after any contact with ghat surfaces. Varanasi’s street food is generally safe if eaten from busy, high-turnover stalls — avoid anything that looks like it has been sitting for hours.
Varanasi for Pilgrims: The Spiritual Itinerary
For those coming to Varanasi for sacred purposes rather than (or in addition to) tourism, here is a suggested two-day spiritual itinerary that covers the essential ritual and devotional experiences:
Day 1: Arrival, Ganga Aarti, and Ghat Walk
- 5:00 AM — Morning Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Take a boat to Assi Ghat beforehand for the quieter morning aarti there, then boat back to Dashashwamedh.
- 7:00 AM — Walk the ghats from Assi to Manikarnika. Stop at each major ghat. Allow 2–3 hours.
- 10:00 AM — Darshan at Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Note: the new Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, inaugurated in 2022, has transformed access to the main Shiva jyotirlinga — queues are managed and the experience is more ordered than before.
- 12:00 PM — Lunch on the ghats or in the lanes near Vishwanath Gali.
- 4:00 PM — Arrive at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening Ganga Aarti. Watch from the ghat front or hire a boat.
Day 2: Sacred Rituals and Sarnath
- 6:00 AM — Ganga Snan (sacred bath) at Assi Ghat or Dashashwamedh Ghat, followed by Tarpan if performing ancestral rites.
- 8:00 AM — Pind Daan or Asthi Visarjan ceremony at Raja Ghat or Pishachmocha Tirth (if applicable). This requires a pre-arranged pandit and takes 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on the scale of the ritual.
- 1:00 PM — Visit Sarnath, 12 km from the city centre — the site of the Buddha’s first sermon and home to the famous Dhamek Stupa, the Sarnath Archaeological Museum, and the Mulagandhakuti Vihara.
- 5:00 PM — Return to the ghats for sunset. Consider a boat ride at sunset when the light on the western bank turns gold and the ghats glow with their most photogenic warmth.
🙏 Book Pind Daan or Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi
Frequently Asked Questions About Travelling to Varanasi
Conclusion: You Will Fall in Love With This City
Bring time, money, and a flexible attitude. Varanasi is the heart of India’s north, and here, time moves by its own measure. If you need money changed, a boat reserved, or a train ticket arranged, expect it to take longer than anticipated. Things in Varanasi are accomplished through human chains — five people, each with their specific role, connect you to what you need. There is nothing to do but accept this way of life. The city is the oldest in the world. It has been working this way longer than most countries have existed.
What every traveller who has spent real time in Varanasi will tell you is this: the city changes you. Not dramatically, not all at once, but in some accumulating way that you notice only after you have left. The sight of the Ganga at dawn. The sound of morning mantras echoing off the old stone ghats. The experience of sitting beside an elder completing their ritual bath with total serenity while the rest of the world rushes past. Varanasi does not let you be merely a tourist. It makes you a participant in something much larger and much older than you.
Plan your visit. Arrange your rituals in advance. Walk the ghats. Eat the kachori. Watch the Aarti from a boat. And when you offer your lamp to the Ganga — if you do — watch it float away on the dark water and understand, perhaps for the first time, why this city has called people to itself for three thousand years.
You can also book a tour from here. For sacred rituals during your Varanasi visit, see: Pind Daan in Varanasi | Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi | Dev Deepawali at Varanasi
Related Services by Prayag Pandits
- 🙏 Pind Daan in Varanasi — Starting from ₹7,100
- 🙏 Asthi Visarjan in Varanasi — Starting from ₹5,100
- 🙏 Ganga Aarti — Starting from ₹3,100