Dashashwamedh Ghat & Ganga Aarti

Varanasi — Kashi, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth — is the spiritual heart of India, and Dashashwamedh is its principal ghat. Here, life and death, ritual and river, all meet on the banks of the sacred Ganga in a way that can be overwhelming and unforgettable.

Each evening, priests perform the Ganga Aarti — a mesmerising ceremony of fire, incense, bells and chanting offered to the river, watched by thousands from the steps and from boats on the water. At dawn, a boat ride past the ghats as the city wakes and bathes is equally profound.

• ›The spectacular evening Ganga Aarti.
• ›A sunrise boat ride along the ghats.
• ›The intense, layered life of the riverfront.

Arrive early for the aarti — a boat gives the best view. Be respectful, especially near the cremation ghats (photography there is not allowed). The old-city lanes are a maze — embrace getting lost.