Ganga Aarti — Dashashwamedh Ghat

Every evening after sunset, a team of young priests performs the Ganga Aarti on Dashashwamedh Ghat, the busiest of Varanasi's riverside steps. Standing on platforms facing the river, they move in unison with tiered brass lamps, incense and conch shells, to the sound of bells and chanting.

Tradition says the god Brahma performed a sacrifice of ten horses here, which gives the ghat its name. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and draws thousands of people each night, watching from the steps or from boats on the river.