Varanasi (Kashi), Uttar Pradesh

Why this place matters

Varanasi, also called Kashi or Banaras, is one of the oldest living cities in the world and, for many Hindus, the most sacred city on the Ganga. Tradition holds that those who leave the body here, or whose last rites and remembrance are done here, are blessed, and that Shiva whispers the liberating mantra to the dying. This is why Kashi is called mokshadayini (mokshadayini = giver of liberation).

For ancestor rites, Varanasi is a major stop on the pilgrimage that families often make through Prayag, Kashi and Gaya. Many families come to offer Tarpan, Shraddha and Pind Daan on the ghats, sometimes before travelling on to Gaya.

Rituals performed here

Kashi has some eighty ghats (ghat = stepped riverbank) along the western bank of the Ganga. Rites for ancestors are done at several of them, and traditions differ by family and lineage.

• Dashashwamedh and Assi: Popular ghats for bathing, Tarpan and simple Shraddha, with many priests available.
• Manikarnika: The best-known cremation ghat. Pilgrims visit and offer respects here, though the cremation grounds are working places and not suited to casual visits.
• Pishach Mochan Kund: A tank associated in tradition with the Tripindi Shraddha (tripindi = three pindas) offered for ancestors who died unfulfilled or in troubled circumstances. Practice and eligibility vary. Ask a qualified priest.
• Kashi's temples: The Kashi Vishwanath temple and others are visited before or after the rites.

Many families do Tarpan at dawn on the ghat, then the Shraddha with pindas at the priest's chosen spot. For the general method see the Tarpan vidhi and Pind Daan vidhi guides on this site.

Best time to visit

Traditional occasions. The Pitru Paksha fortnight, Sarva Pitru Amavasya, and every Amavasya are kept for ancestors. Kartik Purnima, known locally as Dev Deepawali, fills the ghats with lamps and thousands of pilgrims.

Practical season. October to March is the pleasant window, with mild days and cool mornings, though December and January can bring dense fog that delays trains and flights. April to June is intensely hot. During the monsoon the Ganga rises, often covering the lower ghats and shifting rites to higher steps or alternate sites. Pitru Paksha falls at the end of the monsoon and can be hot, humid and crowded.

Planning your visit

Priests at the ghats are called ghatiyas or pandas, and many families have traditional pandas for their region or village. Ask elders for the name. Varanasi also has many scholars who conduct rites in the home or a hired room.

• Book through an official or well-reviewed channel, and agree on the scope of the rite and the dakshina (dakshina = the priest's offering) before beginning. Be cautious of touts at the ghat steps, station and temple lanes who offer to arrange everything.
• Allow one full day for a standard Tarpan and Shraddha. Add a day for Tripindi Shraddha at Pishach Mochan Kund if your family follows it, and extra days for temple visits.
• Getting there: Varanasi has an airport on the outskirts and two main railway stations, Varanasi Junction and the newer Banaras station. Taxis and auto-rickshaws serve the old city, but the lanes near the ghats are narrow and often must be walked.
• What to wear and carry: modest clothes that are easy to change, a towel, spare clothes, sandals, a hat, water, sanitiser and a small waterproof bag. Sunscreen and a scarf help in the sun.

Practical tips

• The old city is crowded and uneven. Steps to the ghats are steep and wet; elderly pilgrims should ask for a ghat with fewer steps or consider a priest who can perform rites in a nearby courtyard.
• Take care with river water. Many pilgrims bathe, but water quality varies by season. If in doubt, perform Tarpan with a small vessel and pour the water in the river, and avoid swallowing it.
• Take only the rituals you have agreed on. Do not hand money or valuables to anyone at the ghat before agreeing terms.
• Prebook hotels for Pitru Paksha, Dev Deepawali and winter holidays.
• For temple and administrative information, check the official Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust and the Varanasi district administration.