Diwali (Festival of Lights): Dates, Tickets & Venue (Varanasi)

Five nights, one river

Diwali in Varanasi spans November 6-10, 2026. The sequence follows the standard five-day order: Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Lakshmi Puja on November 8, Govardhan Puja, then Bhai Dooj. Each night adds more clay oil lamps, called diyas, to doorsteps, temple ledges and the stepped ghats.

Lakshmi Puja is the peak. Families and shopkeepers worship the goddess of prosperity at home and in their shops. Afterwards the lanes fill with firecrackers until late.

The day after, Kashi Vishwanath Temple marks Annakut, when the deity is offered a mountain of cooked food.

Diwali versus Dev Deepawali

Many visitors mix up these two festivals. Diwali is the national festival, and Varanasi observes it mostly in homes, markets and temples. Dev Deepawali, the “Diwali of the gods”, falls on Kartik Purnima, roughly a fortnight later.

On Dev Deepawali the whole crescent of ghats is lined with diyas, step after step. It is the event behind most photographs of Varanasi glowing along the water. Travellers who come for both usually stay through the two weeks between them.

Where the light gathers

There is no single venue and nothing to buy at a gate. These are the places visitors usually head:

• Dashashwamedh Ghat: the nightly Ganga Aarti, with priests swinging tiered brass lamps in unison. It draws the densest crowd.
• Assi Ghat: the southern end, with a morning aarti and a looser, student-heavy feel.
• Vishwanath Gali: the narrow lane up to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, packed with sweet shops and puja stalls.
• Godowlia market: the commercial knot where Dhanteras shoppers buy brass, silver and clay lamps.
• Manikarnika Ghat: the cremation ghat, where the fires keep burning through every festival night.

The city’s airport is Lal Bahadur Shastri International at Babatpur, northwest of town. Trains arrive at Varanasi Junction, also called Cantt. Cycle-rickshaws and walking take over near the river, because cars cannot get into the old-city lanes.

Moving through the ghats on festival nights

Boats are the main “ticket” here. Oarsmen and motorboat operators wait at the ghats, and fares are agreed face to face with no posted rate. Groups usually fix the route first, such as Assi to Manikarnika and back, and set a clear duration before stepping aboard.

• Shoes: they come off at temple entrances, and Kashi Vishwanath has strict security that bans phones inside the shrine.
• Cremation ghats: photographing the pyres is considered deeply disrespectful. Visitors watch from a distance and keep cameras down.
• Floating lamps: leaf-cup diyas with marigolds are sold on the steps. Releasing one onto the water is welcome for anyone.
• Sweets: exchanging mithai is central to Diwali. Kaju katli and laddoos are stacked high in every shop along Godowlia.

The ghat steps are steep and uneven, worn by centuries of use. On Diwali night they are also scattered with firecracker debris and dripping oil. Visitors who want to watch the aarti usually claim a spot on the steps or a boat well before it starts. Once it begins, the crowd at Dashashwamedh becomes hard to move through.

Air quality across north India often drops sharply around Diwali because of fireworks smoke and seasonal haze. Travellers with breathing problems often carry a mask.