Varanasi hosts more festivals than almost any other city in India. For more detail, see our Varanasi weather by month.The city’s identity is inseparable from its religious calendar, and every month brings at least one major celebration that transforms the ghats, temples, and streets. Planning your visit around one of these festivals can turn a great trip into an unforgettable one, but it also means higher prices, larger crowds, and the need to book accommodations far in advance. Here are the major events and festivals, with dates, locations, and practical tips for attending.
Major Annual Festivals in Varanasi
Dev Deepawali (Ganga Mahotsav)
Dev Deepawali, also called the Festival of Lights of the Gods, is Varanasi’s most spectacular event. It takes place on Kartik Purnima, the full moon night in the Hindu month of Kartik (typically November, 15 days after Diwali). On this night, all 84 ghats from Assi to Rajghat are lined with over one million clay oil lamps (diyas), lit by volunteers and temple priests. The ceremony begins at dusk around 5:30 PM, and the lamps burn for several hours. The main Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat is expanded to include 24 priests instead of the usual 7, and fireworks follow. Tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists line the ghats, and the best viewing positions go to those who arrive by 3:00 PM. Boat operators charge premium rates (INR 2,000 to INR 5,000 per boat). Book a hotel with a ghat-facing room 4 to 6 months ahead; rooms within walking distance of Dashashwamedh Ghat sell out completely. The Ganga Mahotsav cultural program, featuring classical music and dance performances by artists from across India, runs for 5 days alongside the main event, and see our best time to visit Varanasi for more detail..
Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri (the Great Night of Shiva) falls in February or March (Phalguna month) and is the most important religious festival in Varanasi, the city of Lord Shiva. Devotees fast during the day and stay awake all night in prayer. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple becomes the epicentre, with queues stretching for kilometres and wait times of up to 6 hours. Thousands of sadhus (holy men) descend on the city, many covered in ash and dressed in saffron robes. Processions of Shiva devotees, called baratis, snake through the old city streets carrying decorated water pots from the Ganges to the temple. For visitors, the best way to experience it is to walk the ghats and old city lanes from late afternoon through the night, absorbing the energy rather than trying to enter the temple. Accommodations fill up, so book 2 to 3 weeks ahead, and see our things to do in Varanasi for more detail..
Holi
Holi, the festival of colours, takes place on the full moon in March (Phalguna Purnima). In Varanasi, Holi is celebrated with an intensity that surpasses most other Indian cities. The morning of the main day (usually 10 AM to 2 PM) involves people throwing coloured powder (gulal) and water at everyone they encounter on the streets. The ghats and lanes of the old city become a riot of pink, green, yellow, and blue. If you participate, wear old white clothes you do not mind ruining, apply coconut oil to your skin and hair before going out (makes the colour easier to wash off), and keep your phone in a sealed plastic bag. The celebration in the lanes around Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Godowlia Crossing is particularly intense. Avoid wearing contact lenses. The evening before Holi, a ritual bonfire called Holika Dahan is lit at major intersections, and see our Varanasi neighborhoods guide for more detail..
Diwali
Diwali, the festival of lights, falls in October or November (Kartika Amavasya) and is celebrated across India, but Varanasi adds its own riverine dimension. The ghats are illuminated with diyas (oil lamps), and the Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat is enhanced with additional rituals. Families set off fireworks along the riverbank, and the reflections of thousands of lights on the Ganges create a mesmerizing scene. The main celebration takes place on the new moon night. Most shops and some restaurants close for the evening. It is worth booking a boat for the hour after sunset to see the ghats from the water, but prices will be high (INR 2,000 to INR 3,000). Book hotels 3 to 4 weeks in advance, and see our where to stay in Varanasi for more detail..
Chhath Puja
Chhath Puja, a 4-day festival dedicated to the Sun God, takes place 6 days after Diwali (typically November). While it originated in Bihar, it is celebrated with enormous devotion in Varanasi due to the large Bihari population. On the main day, devotees stand waist-deep in the Ganges at sunrise and sunset, offering prayers and floating offerings of fruits and flowers on the water. The ghats fill with families, and the atmosphere is more devotional and family-oriented than the spectacle of Dev Deepawali. The best ghats to observe are Assi Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat. The evening arghya (offering) on the third day, about an hour before sunset, is the most photogenic moment, and see our Varanasi travel tips for more detail..
Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh
The Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh is a 5-day classical music festival held at the Sankat Mochan Temple every April. It features performances by some of India’s top Hindustani classical musicians, including vocalists, sitarists, flautists, and tabla players. The concerts take place in the temple courtyard under the open sky, starting at approximately 8:00 PM each night and running past midnight. Entry is free. Bring a cushion or mat to sit on, as seating is on the ground. The festival has been running since 1923 and attracts serious music lovers from across India.
Varanasi Festival Calendar by Month
- January: Makar Sankranti (kite flying and holy dips), Pongal (mid-January).
- February/March: Maha Shivaratri (biggest Shiva festival, all-night vigils), Holi (colours festival, March full moon).
- March/April: Ram Navami (Lord Rama’s birthday, processions), Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh (classical music, 5 days).
- April/May: Buddha Purnima (Buddha’s birth anniversary, celebrated at Sarnath with a large fair).
- July/August: Nag Panchami (snake worship), Raksha Bandhan (sibling festival), Janmashtami (Krishna’s birthday).
- August/September: Ganesh Chaturthi (Ganesha idols immersed in the Ganges at the ghats).
- September/October: Navratri (9 nights of Durga worship), Durga Puja (large pandals, idol immersions), Ramnagar Ramlila (month-long Ramayana performance at Ramnagar Fort).
- October/November: Diwali (festival of lights), Chhath Puja (sun worship at the ghats), Dev Deepawali (million lamps on the ghats, November full moon).
- December: Ganga Mahotsav cultural festival (classical performances, coinciding with Dev Deepawali period).
Planning Your Visit Around Varanasi Festivals
Festival dates in Varanasi follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so they shift by 10 to 20 days each year relative to the Gregorian calendar. Check the exact dates for your travel year on the website of the Varanasi district administration or the Uttar Pradesh Tourism site. For Dev Deepawali and Diwali, book accommodations at least 3 to 4 months ahead. For Maha Shivaratri and Holi, 3 to 4 weeks is usually sufficient. During major festivals, auto-rickshaw and taxi fares increase by 50 to 100 percent, and some roads in the old city are closed to vehicles entirely. Pack earplugs if you are sensitive to noise: temple bells, bhajans (devotional songs), and firecrackers can run from 4:00 AM past midnight during festivals. On the positive side, the festivals bring a communal energy to the city that even the most jaded traveller will find moving.
