Varanasi has been lived in, prayed in and died in for something like three thousand years without a break. Hindus call it Kashi, the city of light, and it is the place many choose to end their lives, believing death here releases them from the cycle of rebirth. That is the fact to hold on to: this is not a monument, it is a working city of faith.
It rewards being met from the water. At dawn the ghatsGhatA flight of steps leading down to a river or tank, used for bathing, worship and cremation.Read in the glossary face east, the light comes up the river, and the whole bank — bathers, priests, wrestlers, laundry, pilgrims, the burning ground — is in front of you at once, from a boat, quietly. Do it from the lane above instead and you will find only crowds.
We give Varanasi a dawn and an evening: the boat at first light, and the Ganga AartiAartiA Hindu act of worship in which lamps of flame are circled before a deity or a sacred river, accompanied by bells, conch and chant.Read in the glossary after dark, when priests move fire in unison against the water. In between, Sarnath — where the Buddha gave his first sermon — sits half an hour away and returns the pace to something calmer.
Signature Experiences
- ◆Dawn boat along the ghats as the light comes up the Ganges
- ◆Private evening Ganga Aarti observed by boat, away from the press of the bank
- ◆Sarnath, where the Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment
Optional, By Arrangement
- ◆Banarasi silk weaving workshop with a working family loom
- ◆Heritage walk through the lanes of the old city
- ◆Morning yoga or a private classical music recital at the palace
Where We Place Our Guests
- Taj Nadesar Palace
The Table
- Banarasi thali and lassi in clay cups
- Palace garden dinner
- Street-food tasting through the old city
Curator's Advisory
Two nights, not one — the dawn boat and the evening aarti are different cities and you want both. Photography at the cremation ghats is intrusive and, in places, prohibited; our guides will tell you plainly where to lower the camera.
In & Around Varanasi
Attractions
Where to Stay
Journeys Through Varanasi
The Journal
Related Reading
The Sacred Ganges: Varanasi, Rishikesh & the River's Rituals
India's holiest river runs from Himalayan source to sacred city. How to encounter the Ganges — at Varanasi's ghats and Rishikesh's foothills — with depth and grace.
Varanasi: How to Encounter the Sacred City With Depth and Sensitivity
A city that changes everyone who visits — but only if you approach it on its own profound terms. Our guide to encountering Varanasi properly.
The Weavers of Varanasi: A Living Tradition in Silk
On the narrow lanes of the holy city, a craft unchanged for three thousand years continues — and Elevated India will take you inside it.