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Dashashwamedh Ghat & Godowlia
The Main Stage
The heart of the riverfront: the evening Ganga aarti of fire and bells, boatmen, pilgrims, marigold garlands. Claim a spot an hour before sunset, or watch from a boat.
Varanasi's main stage: every evening at Dashashwamedh seven priests raise fire to the bells in the city's central ceremony, unchanged for generations. By day the ghat belongs to boatmen, flower-sellers and pilgrims; behind it, Godowlia crossing gathers every lane of the old city. Start Varanasi here, at dawn, from the water.
Who it suits
your first aarti the city's heart a dawn boat
Staying here
Ghat-view guesthouses: loud, cramped, unforgettable.
In the evening
The Ganga aarti at sunset: come an hour early for the steps, or take a boat.
Getting there
Walk or rickshaw to Godowlia, then on foot only
Where to eat
Where to stay
Other areas of Varanasi
In the app: the city's areas on the map, the places inside and a route.
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