Ganga aarti in Varanasi: how to book a boat and see it from the river

Every evening after sunset, priests on the ghats of Varanasi offer aarti to Maa Ganga. They stand in a row on raised platforms facing the river, with large brass lamps, conch shells, bells and incense, and move the lamps through the air in unison while the chants and bhajans carry across the water. The best known is the aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, a short walk from Kashi Vishwanath; another is held at Assi Ghat.

The aarti lasts around forty-five minutes. The steps of the ghat fill well before it starts, and many devotees watch it from boats on the river instead, which gives you the whole line of priests in view, the lit ghats behind them, and a little space from the crowd.

Watching the aarti from the ghats is free. There is no official ticket for it, so be careful of anyone selling "aarti passes".

MandirMay doesn’t sell a standalone aarti service, because there isn’t one to sell. What we do book is the evening boat ride on the Ganga, so you can take in the ghats at dusk from the water. You can choose:

• Per-seat boat ticket: pay per person and join a scheduled evening boat tour of the ghats. This suits couples and small families.
• Full boat rental: reserve the entire boat for your group, up to eight people. This suits larger families, or anyone who wants the boat to themselves.

Book the boat on the Kashi Vishwanath page, where it sits with the Kashi cabs and transfers. You see the price for your date before you pay. Today’s prices are in the table below.

If you are coming from the airport or the station the same day, you can add a pickup, and a hotel room about a 2–3 minute walk from Kashi Vishwanath, to the same booking.

Both are good ways to take part in the aarti. It comes down to who is with you and how you like to watch.

From the ghat steps. You sit close to the priests, hear the chants clearly and feel part of the crowd singing along. The steps fill early, so you need to arrive well before sunset and hold your place. It can be tiring for elders, and getting out afterwards is slow, as everyone leaves at once.

From a boat. You see the whole line of priests and lamps at once, with the lit ghats behind them, and you don’t have to stand in the crowd. It suits families with elders or small children, and anyone who wants a quieter view. The boat also lets you see more of the riverfront at dusk before the aarti begins.

Per seat or the whole boat? A per-seat ticket is simple for one to four people: you join the scheduled evening boat with other devotees. A full boat keeps your group together, up to eight people, and is easier if you are travelling with elders who need room to sit.

Whichever you choose, keep the evening unhurried. Plan your darshan earlier in the day, so you are not racing from the temple to the river.

If you are planning a full visit, a ready-made Kashi Darshan, Ganga Aarti & Boat trip, when one fits your dates, brings the aarti together with darshan over two nights and three days:

• Sugam darshan at Kashi Vishwanath, booked as the temple’s official ticket
• A Sankalp puja at the Ganga ghat
• The evening boat ride for the aarti
• Local sightseeing, a hotel stay and airport pickup and drop

The trip is customisable before you pay. For other ways to plan, see the Varanasi tour package page.

• Go early. Whether you watch from the ghat or a boat, aim to be there well before sunset. The lanes to Dashashwamedh get crowded in the evening.
• Pair it with darshan. Many devotees do darshan at Kashi Vishwanath in the morning or afternoon, then walk to the ghats for the evening. With a Sugam darshan ticket, entry and darshan usually take 30 to 45 minutes on regular days.
• A Sankalp puja at the ghat before darshan makes the day complete; it can go on the same booking.
• Dress for the season. Evenings on the river are cool from November to February. October to March is the most comfortable time to visit Varanasi.
• Busy evenings. Weekends, Mondays in Shravan, and festivals such as Dev Deepawali bring very large crowds to the ghats, and boats get booked early.
• Keep your belongings close on the ghats and in the boat, and keep phones and cameras secure near the water.

MandirMay is an independent platform. We are not affiliated with the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, and we don’t organise the Ganga aarti, which is performed by the ghat’s own priests and committees.

Kashi bookings are non-refundable and can’t be rescheduled. The boat runs in the evening and depends on the river and local arrangements, so please settle your date and plan before you pay.

You pay an advance online through Razorpay, and the rest before your visit. Our team then confirms the plan with you on WhatsApp.