The furthest south of the main ghats and one of the biggest, Assi Ghat is particularly important as the River Assi meets the Ganges near here and pilgrims come to worship a Shiva lingam (phallic image of Shiva) beneath a peepul tree. Evenings are particularly lively, as the ghat’s vast concreted area fills up with hawkers and entertainers during a small fire ceremony. It also features music and yoga at sunrise. It’s a popular starting point for boat trips.
Prakhar Tripathi / 500px
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.59 MILES
Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and…
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1.19 MILES
Varanasi’s liveliest and most colourful ghat. The name indicates that Brahma sacrificed (medh) 10 (das) horses (aswa) here. In spite of the persistent…
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0.62 MILES
Harishchandra Ghat is a cremation ghat – smaller and secondary in importance to Manikarnika, but one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi.
1.51 MILES
There are temples at almost every turn in Varanasi, but this is the most famous of the lot. It is dedicated to Vishveswara – Shiva as lord of the universe…
1.76 MILES
Long regarded as a centre of learning, Varanasi’s tradition of top-quality education continues today at Banares Hindu University, established in 1916. The…
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Dhamekh Stupa & Monastery Ruins
6.4 MILES
Set in a peaceful park containing monastery ruins is this impressive 34m stupa, marking the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The floral…
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6.3 MILES
This fully modernised, 100-year-old sandstone museum houses wonderfully displayed ancient treasures, such as the very well-preserved, 3rd-century-BC lion…
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1.39 MILES
On the Banares Hindu University campus, this museum hosts a wonderful collection of miniature paintings, as well as 12th-century palm-leaf manuscripts,…
Nearby Varanasi attractions
0.08 MILES
Named after a 16th-century Hindu poet, Tulsi Ghat has fallen down towards the river, but in the month of Kartika (October/November) a festival devoted to…
0.39 MILES
This temple, dedicated to the goddess Durga, was built in the 18th century by a Bengali maharani and is stained red with ochre. It's also known as the …
0.39 MILES
A small Shiva temple and a 19th-century mansion built by Nepali royalty sit back from Shivala Ghat, built by the local maharaja of Benares.
0.42 MILES
The walls of this modern, marble, sikhara-style temple are engraved with verses and scenes from the Ram Charit Manas, the Hindi version of the Ramayana.
0.55 MILES
Popular with Rama devotees (Hanuman was Rama's stalwart ally in his quest to rescue Sita from the demon Ravana).
0.62 MILES
Harishchandra Ghat is a cremation ghat – smaller and secondary in importance to Manikarnika, but one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi.