Ganga Mahotsav in Varanasi: Dates, Highlights & What to Expect in Kashi

The Ganga Mahotsav in Varanasi will be celebrated from November 20 to 23, followed by Dev Deepawali on November 24. Most of the main events will take place at Rajghat, with additional programmes at Namo Ghat. Visitors can expect four days of classical music, dance and folk performances, along with local crafts, food and cultural showcases. The celebrations will reach their peak with Dev Deepawali, when 90 ghats are set to be illuminated with lamps. Since thousands of visitors are expected, the administration is also working on traffic, security, parking, cleanliness, medical support and other arrangements.

• The main festival is scheduled for: November 20–23, 2026
• Dev Deepawali: November 24.
• The district administration has already begun preparations, including ghat cleaning, lighting, decoration, security and crowd-management arrangements.

The main Ganga Mahotsav programme will be held at Rajghat, while Namo Ghat will also host cultural activities.

The festival goes beyond stage performances, bringing together the cultural side of Kashi through music, local talent, crafts and food.

• Four days of music and dance: The celebrations will bring classical music, Kathak, Bharatanatyam, folk performances, instrumental music and devotional singing to the riverfront, making the Ganga Mahotsav festival in Varanasi as much about live culture as the ghats themselves.
• Rajghat and Namo Ghat: Rajghat will host the main festival programme, while Namo Ghat will also have cultural events. This keeps much of the action close to the Ganga rather than confined to an indoor venue.
• A platform for local talent: The celebrations will also put the spotlight on artists from Kashi, including winners of the Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav and students from the Gurukul near Rajghat.
• Local crafts and products: Visitors can expect stalls showcasing local products, including ODOP items, at selected ghats and hotels. It adds a shopping element without taking away from the cultural focus of the festival.
• Dev Deepawali finale: The celebrations continue into November 24, when around 90 ghats are expected to be illuminated with garlands of lamps. For many visitors, this will be the visual high point of the entire festival period.

For visitors, the festival is a good chance to see Kashi in a different mood, especially along the riverfront. You can combine the cultural programmes with Banarasi food, local handicrafts or an evening boat ride on the Ganga. Once the ghats light up after sunset, the atmosphere changes completely.

If you’re visiting during the festival, keep some extra time for getting around. Large crowds are expected, and traffic, parking and security arrangements will be particularly important around the main celebration areas.

The four-day Ganga Mahotsav in Kashi leads straight into Dev Deepawali, making November 20 to 24 a particularly lively time to be in Varanasi. With performances at Rajghat and Namo Ghat, local artists and crafts in the spotlight, and 90 ghats set to be illuminated for Dev Deepawali, the celebrations bring together many of the things that make Kashi special. The best part is that you don’t experience it only from the festival venues, the riverfront, ghats and streets become part of the experience too.

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