A private rowing boat along the ghats at dawn
We meet at the ghat about 30 minutes before sunrise, around 6 am in winter and 5:15 am in March, with tea in a flask. The boat is a traditional wooden rowing boat with cushions, rowed by a boatman we use regularly. Motorboats are faster but noisy; for the dawn ride we prefer oars and silence.
Moving downstream from Assi, you pass ghats built by maharajas and merchants from across India: Chet Singh's fort-like walls, Harishchandra with its cremation fires, the painted façade of Darbhanga, and Dashashwamedh, the busiest. Pilgrims bathe and offer water to the sun, priests sit under bamboo umbrellas, and washermen beat clothes on stones. The sun rises over the empty sand bank opposite.
The turning point is Manikarnika, the main cremation ghat, which we pass at a respectful distance without photographs. Your guide explains the rituals and beliefs around death in Kashi. We land at a ghat near the old city, ready for a walk through the lanes to Kashi Vishwanath and a breakfast of kachori and jalebi.
Questions travellers ask
Good to know
What time should I take a boat ride in Varanasi?
Sunrise is the classic time: board about 30 minutes before sunrise, roughly 6 am in December and January and around 5:15 to 5:30 am in March. The light is soft, the ghats are full of bathers and the river is calm. In winter fog, the first half-hour can be misty, which has its own atmosphere.
Is a rowing boat or motorboat better in Varanasi?
For the dawn ride we prefer a rowing boat: it is quiet, slow and lets you hear the ghats. A motorboat is useful for covering the full length of the ghats quickly or reaching the aarti in a crowd. For larger groups or families with small children, a covered motorboat can be more comfortable.
Can I take photos from the boat in Varanasi?
Yes, along most of the ghats. Ask before photographing individuals bathing or praying close up. Photography of cremations at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats is not permitted and causes real offence, and boatmen and locals will object. Your guide tells you when to put the camera down.
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