Dashashwamedh Ghat

Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and most prominent ghat on the River Ganges in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, located close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Known for its wide stone steps leading to the river, it is the central venue for the daily Ganga Aarti ceremony. Rebuilt in the 18th century, it serves as a major religious, cultural and tourist hub where pilgrims bathe, perform rituals and take boat rides.

Visitors can expect a wide expanse of stone steps descending to the Ganges with temples and shrines at the top, bustling activity throughout the day, and a large open platform used for the evening Ganga Aarti. The riverfront offers views of boats, pilgrims bathing and performing rituals, priests conducting ceremonies, and shops and food stalls in the adjoining lanes. Boat rides can be taken from the ghat to view the riverfront and other ghats.

Tradition associates the ghat with Brahma who is believed to have performed ten Ashwamedha sacrifices here. The present ghat was rebuilt in 1740 by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao and later reconstructed in 1774 by Ahilyabai Holkar, the ruler of Indore. It has long served as a principal bathing and ceremonial ghat of Varanasi.

One of the most sacred and visited ghats in Varanasi for Hindu pilgrims, where devotees bathe in the Ganges and perform rituals. It is best known for the daily evening Ganga Aarti, a coordinated ritual of lamps, incense and chants performed by priests that draws large gatherings of pilgrims and visitors and represents the living religious culture of Varanasi.