Discover Varanasi

Every evening, priests at Dashashwamedh Ghat celebrate the Ganga Aarti ceremony with burning oil lamps, chants and incense in honor of the sacred Ganges River, a solemn ritual followed by hundreds of spectators from the shore and from boats.

The Manikarnika Ghat is one of Hinduism's holiest cremation sites, where cremations take place around the clock, as according to Hindu belief, cremation in Varanasi breaks the cycle of rebirth.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple, clad in pure gold, is dedicated to the god Shiva and is considered one of India's twelve sacred Jyotirlinga shrines, drawing thousands of pilgrims from across the country every day.

A rowboat ride at sunrise past the more than 80 ghats is considered one of India's most moving experiences, as the first light bathes the stone steps, bathing pilgrims and floating flower offerings in golden light.

Domestic flights from Delhi to Varanasi run multiple times daily with a flight time of about an hour and a half. Alternatively, a high-speed train connects the two cities in about eight hours across the northern Indian Gangetic plain.

Every evening, priests at Dashashwamedh Ghat celebrate the Ganga Aarti ceremony with burning oil lamps, chants and incense in honor of the sacred Ganges River, a solemn ritual followed by hundreds of spectators from the shore and from boats.

The Manikarnika Ghat is one of Hinduism's holiest cremation sites, where cremations take place around the clock, as according to Hindu belief, cremation in Varanasi breaks the cycle of rebirth.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple, clad in pure gold, is dedicated to the god Shiva and is considered one of India's twelve sacred Jyotirlinga shrines, drawing thousands of pilgrims from across the country every day.