Varanasi Ghats

The Varanasi Ghats are the stone stairways that line the western bank of the Ganges in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, for about six kilometres. There are more than 80 Varanasi Ghats, each with its own name, history and function, and together they form the spiritual centre of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi, also called Kashi and Banaras, releases the soul from the cycle of rebirth, so pilgrims come to bathe, pray and cremate their dead here. Most of the present ghats and the palaces above them were built or rebuilt from the 18th century by Maratha and Rajput rulers. Life on the Varanasi Ghats runs from before dawn: pilgrims bathe, priests sit under bamboo umbrellas, laundry is beaten on the steps, and at Manikarnika and Harishchandra bodies are cremated in the open, day and night.

What to see

• Dashashwamedh Ghat and its evening Ganga Aarti, with priests swinging brass lamps to chants and bells
• Assi Ghat at the southern end, with a morning aarti and music
• Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation ground, best seen quietly from a boat
• Darbhanga and Chet Singh ghats, with their riverside palaces
• The Kashi Vishwanath temple and its corridor, opened in 2021, leading up from the river

What to wear

The Varanasi Ghats are sacred, so cover shoulders and knees; loose cotton trousers or a long skirt are practical. Remove shoes to enter temples, and leather may be refused at some. Steps are uneven and slippery, so wear sandals with grip. Winter dawns are cold and foggy on the river; summer is fierce, and the monsoon floods the lower ghats. Banaras is the home of the Banarasi silk sari, and local men wear the dhoti-kurta and gamchha scarf.

Local food to try

Varanasi breakfasts are kachori sabzi and jalebi from the stalls of the old city lanes. Try tamatar chaat around Godowlia, thick lassi in clay cups, Banarasi paan, and in winter malaiyo, a saffron milk froth set by the morning dew. The food of the old city is almost entirely vegetarian, and many places skip onion and garlic. Halal meat dishes are available in the Muslim quarters such as Madanpura.

Good to know

• Best from October to March; dawn boat and evening aarti are the two key times
• Ghats open 24 hours; aarti at dusk, about 6pm to 7pm depending on season
• Free; agree the boat price before you set off
• Allow a sunrise boat trip, an evening aarti and a walk between them
• Dashashwamedh is about 5 km from Varanasi Junction station and 25 km from the airport
• Never photograph cremations; ask before photographing sadhus or bathers

Nearby places

Varanasi is a long way from the other sights in the index. The Buddhist sites of Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya and Nalanda are around five to six hours east by road in Bihar, and the Taj Mahal in Agra is about 600 km west.