காட்களில் மோசடியாளர்களிடம் எச்சரிக்கை. கங்கை காட்களிலும் கோயில் தெருக்களிலும் தங்களை “வழிகாட்டி” அல்லது “பூசாரி” என்று சொல்லிக்கொள்ளும் தரகர்கள் VIP தரிசனம், பூஜை, படகு சவாரி அல்லது “தகனக் கட்டைக்கான நன்கொடை” என்று கேட்டு அலைகிறார்கள். யாருக்கும் முன்பணம் கொடுக்காதீர்கள்; சேவையைப் பெறுவதற்கு முன் பணம் செலுத்தாதீர்கள். கோயில் சேவைகளை அதிகாரப்பூர்வ அறக்கட்டளை மூலம் மட்டுமே பதிவு செய்யுங்கள்.
Side by side
Walking
- Free
- Close-up life on the steps — chai, cricket, rituals, wrestlers
- Stop wherever you like, for as long as you like
- Visit temples and lanes between the ghats
- Tiring in heat; hundreds of steps
- Not possible when the river floods
- Hard for elders and wheelchair users
Boat
- The full panorama of the ghats in one sweep
- Gentle for elders and children
- The best seat for the Ganga Aarti
- Magical at sunrise and after dark
- Costs money; agree prices first
- Can’t stop and explore
- Suspended in floods or dense fog
Which suits you?
| If you are… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Travelling with elderly parents | Boat | No steps; boarding at Dashashwamedh or Assi is easiest |
| A photographer | Both | Boat for the sweep at dawn, walk for faces and details |
| On a tight budget | Walk | Free, and a shared boat at sunrise costs very little |
| Visiting in May–June | Boat at dawn | The steps are scorching by 9 AM |
| Visiting in August–September | Ask locally | Floods often submerge the ghats and stop boats |
| Here for one day only | Boat at sunrise | Shows you the whole riverfront in an hour |
The perfect morning: both
-
01
5:30 AM — boat from Dashashwamedh
Head south to Assi as the sun rises over the far bank.
-
02
7:00 AM — Subah-e-Banaras at Assi
Catch the end of the dawn programme, then breakfast — kachori and jalebi nearby.
-
03
8:30 AM — walk north
Walk back along the ghats towards Dashashwamedh, stopping at Tulsi, Kedar and Darbhanga.
-
04
10:30 AM — rest
Retreat from the heat; come back to the river for the evening aarti.
Good to know
- Agree boat prices up front — total, per boat or per person, route and duration.
- Life jackets should be on board; ask for them.
- On the walk, wear shoes with grip — the stone steps near the water are slippery.
- Do not photograph cremations at Manikarnika or Harishchandra, from the steps or from a boat.