Dashashwamedh Ghat

Getting there

• By air

  Babatpur (LBS) airport is 22 km from Varanasi, and several airlines fly from it.

• By train

  Varanasi is a major rail junction, served by trains from all metros and major cities across the country.

• By road

  Varanasi is on NH2, NH7 and NH29, and is linked by all-weather motorable roads. E-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and three-wheelers are readily available.

Why devotees come here

Dashashwamedh Ghat is one of the main ghats on the Ganges in Varanasi, close to Vishwanath Temple. The ghat is a major site of religious significance on the Ganges. Three Puranic lingas here are visited by Panchatrithi pilgrims, and a legend ties the ghat to ten horse sacrifices.

Devotees count this ghat among the main places of worship on the banks of the Ganges. Three Puranic lingas here are visited by Panchatrithi pilgrims. Legend links the name to dash, meaning ten, and ashwamedha, meaning horse sacrifice. One telling says Brahma performed these ten horse sacrifices here for King Divodasa. Another says the Bhara Shiva Nagas performed them. These are legends.

Varanasi, also called Kashi, has long been the ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus, and this ghat is one of its 88 riverfront ghats. It lies close to Vishwanath Temple. The present ghat was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao near 1735. At the end of the 18th century, Ahilyabai Holkar built a haveli nearby, named Ahilyabai Wada and Bharmapuri.

Festivals

• Dusshera and DiwaliDurga and Kali image immersions

  Bengali devotees immerse images of Durga here at Dusshera, and images of Kali at Diwali.

Tips for your visit

• Pilgrims bathe here at dawn, especially in the month of Magha and the bright half of Jyeshtha.
• On some one-way routes in the old temple and market areas of Varanasi, autos and big vehicles are not permitted.
• Tourists are advised to agree the auto or rickshaw fare before travelling.
• Prepaid taxi service is available at Babatpur airport (LBS).

Questions people ask