River Ganga or Maa Ganga is considered to be the holiest river among the rivers of world.
Ganga is considered to be the holy river of India for Hindus. It flows through many important religious cities of North India like Varanasi, Haridwar and Rishikesh. People offer fire to the river in the form of floating lamp made with candles and flower. Thousands of such lamps float on the river and which looks like millions of stars on the river.
This Ganga Aarti is performed on Dashaswamedh Ghat on the bank of river Ganga. One can visit this ghat from Kashi Vishwanath Mandir as it is situated close to this temple. To watch the Aarti few people choose roof top restaurants and few choose to stay on ghat to have the glimpse of aarti. Besides this many people hire the boat so that they can watch the aarti from front view. Aarti is organised by Ganga Sewa Nidhi Office.
No matter how the climate is, this ceremony happens during every sunset. In summer season, the sunset happens around 7 PM and in winter, the sunsets around 6 PM. The Aarti goes on for around 45 minutes. If you want to feel the ambiance of aarti very closely then you must visit the ghat by 5:00 PM so that you can stay near to the place where the ceremony happens.
The aarti is conducted during sunset by a group of young pandits with saffron robes on their body. With the start of aarti, conch shells (Shankh) are blown up and incense sticks (Agarbatti) are lit numerously. Big size lamps are lit and raised up in the air to perform the aarti. While chanting hymns pandits hold the lamps and offer prayer to river Ganga.
Various kinds of lamps like snake hood lamp and karpoor lamp are also used which make the atmosphere of ghat more attractive. Peacock feathers and Yak tails fans are also raised and waved during the aarti. At the end of the ritual, a priest pours a bowl of water into the river, which symbolizes that the Aarti has been concluded. After the aarti devotees get the small lamps decorated and make them float on the river.
One can visit Varanasi to see the aarti ceremony throughout the year as it is organised on daily basis, but the best time to visit the ghat for this ritual is Kartik Purnima (during month of October to November) as at that time event is conducted at grand level.
As no transportation is available to reach the Ghat so one has to cover the distance to ghat by walking. To reach Dashashwemedh Ghat one can hire a taxi to Godaulia, from where ghat is around 1 KM away. This area of 1 KM is very crowded where busy market is also situated, so one has to travel this distance by walking only.
Everyone has to walk this distance through a crowded market.
There is no entrance fee charged at Ganga Aarti. However if someone wishes to see the aarti from boat then he/she may have to pay fixed charges. Charges of boat at the time of aarti are more as compared to any other time of day.