Dashashwamedh Ghat
दशाश्वमेध घाट
Varanasi's busiest main ghat. Legend says Brahma performed the ten-horse sacrifice here, and the nightly Ganga Aarti ceremony takes place here.
Dashashwamedh Ghat lies in the middle of the old city. Its name means 'sacrifice of ten horses'. According to legend, the creator god Brahma performed this sacrifice here to welcome Shiva. It is the most crowded ghat in Varanasi. In the morning, people bathe, have their heads shaved and perform rituals. During the day, vendors sell flower garlands and oil lamps, and sadhus and boatmen seek customers.
Every evening, shortly after sunset (around 18:00 to 19:00, earlier in winter and later in summer), the Ganga Aarti is held on the ghat. Seven young priests in orange robes stand on a wooden platform. To the sound of bells, drums and chanting, they wave multi-tiered oil lamps, burn incense, use yak-tail whisks and blow conch shells as an offering to the goddess Ganga. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes.
There are two ways to watch. You can find a place on the steps of the ghat (arrive an hour early to secure a spot), or rent a boat to watch from the river, where the view is wider. A boat costs about 200 to 500 rupees per person. Negotiate the price first.
Boats for sunrise also depart from here. You can go south to Assi Ghat or north to Manikarnika Ghat. A one-hour rowed boat costs about 500 to 800 rupees for the whole boat.
Watch your belongings in the crowds. During the aarti, someone may apply a mark to your forehead or hand you an oil lamp and then ask for money. If you do not want to take part, refuse firmly.
Opening hours
Open all day; night ritual begins about after sunset
Nearby sights
- Man Mandir Ghat & Jantar Mantar
- Darbhanga Ghat
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- Godowlia & Vishwanath Gali
- Nepali Temple at Lalita Ghat
- Manikarnika Ghat
- Scindia Ghat
- Kedar Ghat