Written by the Seenary team from what we know of this place, to get Stories started. Travellers' own stories appear beside it.
Every evening at dusk the priests of Dashashwamedh Ghat perform the Ganga aarti: lamps, bells, incense and chanting on the steps while the river fills with small boats. It is the one thing nearly every visitor to Varanasi sees, and it earns the attention. Arrive well before sunset to find a place on the steps, or hire a boat and watch from the water, which is calmer and gives the best view of the whole ghat lit up. The ceremony lasts about an hour. Afterwards the lanes behind the ghat are at their busiest; walk them slowly and let the crowd carry you.
Good for: first evenings in the city, photographers, anyone happy in a crowd