Ganga Aarti in Varanasi: Dashashwamedh vs Assi, TimingsGanga Aarti in Varanasi: Dashashwamedh vs Assi, Timingsवाराणसी की गंगा आरती: दशाश्वमेध और अस्सी, समय

Every evening after sunset, a row of young priests on raised platforms at Dashashwamedh Ghat offers aarti to the Ganga with tiered brass lamps, incense, conch shells and bells, moving in unison to the chanting of hymns. The main aarti is organised by the Ganga Seva Nidhi, whose ceremony is performed by seven archakas. The Gangotri Seva Samiti also holds an evening aarti at Dashashwamedh.

The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. It is free and open to everyone, with no ticket for standing or sitting on the ghat. Hundreds of people gather on an ordinary evening and far more at weekends and festivals. Special aartis are also held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.

The aarti follows sunset, so its start time moves through the year. In November 2025 the Ganga Seva Nidhi and Gangotri Seva Samiti moved the evening aarti to 6 pm for winter, and the morning aarti at Dashashwamedh from 5 am to 5:30 am. In summer, when the sun sets later, the evening aarti is reported to begin at about 7 pm.

The organisers do not publish a fixed timetable online, and the exact start can shift by a quarter of an hour either way as the season changes. As of September 2026, plan on roughly 6 pm from about November to February and around 7 pm in the summer months, and confirm locally on the day.

The steps directly facing the priests' platforms fill first. People also watch from the neighbouring ghat steps, from balconies and terraces of buildings along the river, and from the upper platforms towards Man Mandir Ghat, which tend to be less crowded. On busy evenings police may close sections of the ghat and regulate the flow of people along the road from Godowlia, so allow extra time to walk in.

Arriving 45 minutes to an hour before the start usually gets you a place on the steps; at weekends and on festival days, come earlier. Carry little, keep a close eye on children and belongings, and wait a few minutes before leaving: when the aarti ends the whole crowd heads for the same narrow exits at once. A light shawl is useful on winter evenings by the river.

Many visitors watch from the river. Rowing and motor boats gather in front of Dashashwamedh before the aarti and hold position facing the platforms, giving a full view of the lamps against the ghat. Boats are hired from the ghats; agree on the price, the duration and whether the boat will stay through the whole aarti before you board.

The district administration has made life jackets mandatory for passengers and boatmen, and a boat may carry only as many passengers as it has life jackets and legal capacity. Wear the jacket, stay seated, and do not board a crowded boat. Water police, NDRF teams and divers patrol the ghats.

From roughly July to September the Ganga rises over the lower steps. As the water climbs, the Ganga Seva Nidhi moves the aarti to higher ground; in August 2026 it shifted venues five times and finally held the aarti on the roof of its office at Dashashwamedh, still with seven archakas, returning to the usual platforms once the water receded.

In high water the district administration suspends all boat operations; on 22 August 2026 every boat on the Ganga in Varanasi was halted. So in the monsoon, expect a smaller, rooftop aarti with limited space and no boat viewing, and check the local news before you go.

At Assi Ghat, the southernmost of the main ghats, the day begins with Subah-e-Banaras, a free programme started in 2014. It begins before dawn with Vedic chanting and Ganga aarti, followed by a yagya, a tribute to the five elements, classical and semi-classical music by visiting artists, and an open yoga session, lasting about two hours in all.

Where Dashashwamedh in the evening is dense and theatrical, Assi at dawn is smaller and quieter, and it pairs naturally with a sunrise boat ride north along the ghats. Start time follows sunrise, so check it the evening before.

On Dev Deepawali, on Kartik Purnima, the Ganga Seva Nidhi holds its once-a-year maha aarti. In 2025, 21 priests performed the aarti with 42 girls representing Riddhi and Siddhi, and a tribute to soldiers was held at an Amar Jawan Jyoti replica on the ghat. In 2026 Dev Deepawali falls on 24 November. Expect the ghats and river to be at full capacity, boat hire to be booked out and priced far above normal, and road closures in the old city.

Ganga Dussehra, on Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami in May or June, marks the descent of the Ganga to earth, and the evening aarti is more elaborate than usual. Crowds are also heavy on Kartik Purnima morning and during Shravan.

The aarti is an act of worship, not a show. Dress modestly, remove footwear if you sit near the platforms, and keep your voice low during the chanting. Photography and phone video from the steps and boats are common, but avoid flash, do not climb onto the priests' platforms, and do not block the view of people behind you with raised phones or selfie sticks.

Offering a leaf-cup diya with flowers to the river is part of the evening for many; buy it from ghat vendors and place it gently on the water. Be discreet with cameras near Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats, where cremations continue at all hours; do not photograph funeral rites or mourners.