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Kashi · काशी
Excavated brick remains of ancient Kashi on the high bank above Raj Ghat, Varanasi
HinduGhat

Raj Ghatराजघाट

  • TimingsGhat open at all hours; Lal Khan's Tomb and excavations about 06:00–18:00 or 19:00 (sources differ)
  • EntryGhat: no ticket reported; Lal Khan's Tomb and excavations: ASI ticket, reported ₹20–25 (QR payment)
  • Time neededAbout 1 h (ghat and excavations)
  • Best timeDev Deepawali (Kartik Purnima, Oct–Nov) and the Ganga Mahotsav held here in the days before it; early morning for the excavated site

The northern ghat at the foot of the Malviya (Dufferin) Bridge, near where the Varuna meets the Ganga.

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Visit at a glance

Timings and fees are not confirmed from an official source; check before you go.

Good to know

  • The excavated remains of ancient Kashi lie inside the walled compound of the Tomb of Lal Khan (1773) on the bank above the ghat; one ASI ticket is reported to cover both.
  • Unlike most ghats, Raj Ghat can be reached by car or bike, and Kashi railway station is beside it.
  • On Dev Deepawali the lamps run along the whole riverfront from Raj Ghat to Assi; book a boat early.
Read the full story

The high bank above it is ancient Kashi: the Archaeological Survey of India's board at the excavated remains dates the settlement from the 8th century BCE to the 18th century CE, and a Gupta-era seal found here names the city administration of Varanasi. In 2020 the Prime Minister opened Dev Deepawali here by lighting the first diya.

Railway workers building Kashi station turned up antiquities here, and the ASI cut its first trial trench in 1940; Banaras Hindu University later excavated the site on a large scale. In medieval times a Gahadavala fort stood on the bank, and the steps below served as the city's ferry crossing.

Sources: OpenStreetMap — Raj Ghat (node 1538127119) · Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) — Rajghat · Wikimedia Commons — ASI board 'Excavated Remains, Rajghat' (photo by Rangan Datta, 2023) · ETV Bharat — PM lights customary first diya at Raj Ghat to open Dev Deepawali (30 Nov 2020) · The Telegraph — Tomb of Lal Khan and Raj Ghat (timing, ₹20 ticket, single ticket for tomb and ruins) · District by Zomato — Lal Khan's Tomb (06:00–18:00)

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