ENहिंदी
A narrow lane in the old city of Banaras

About us

Shantanu Srivastava with friends at Kashi Vishwanath Dham

Namaste, I'm Shantanu Srivastava

I'm a Banarasi. Banaras is my home city, and Banaras Darshan is my attempt to share it the way locals know it: which gate to use for darshan, when the ghats are quiet, where the kachori is still hot at 7 AM, and which "VIP darshan" offers to ignore.

Every guide on this site is written by me from first-hand experience of the temples, ghats, lanes and food of Kashi, and checked against official sources for timings and fees.

Banaras, in my own photos

With friends at Kashi Vishwanath Dham, after darshan
With friends at Kashi Vishwanath Dham, after darshan
At Ganga Dwar, the river gate of Kashi Vishwanath Dham
At Ganga Dwar, the river gate of Kashi Vishwanath Dham
A winter night by the leaning Ratneshwar Mahadev temple
A winter night by the leaning Ratneshwar Mahadev temple
A sunrise dip in the Ganga
A sunrise dip in the Ganga
A quiet morning on the ghats
A quiet morning on the ghats

What you'll find here

  • Detailed guides to temples, ghats and heritage sites
  • Darshan timings, booking steps and visitor rules
  • Banarasi food and the best time to try it
  • Ready-made itineraries and safety tips

Accuracy

Timings, fees and rules in Banaras change from time to time. I review the guides regularly against official sources, but please confirm important details with the official website or venue before you travel.

Found something out of date, or planning a trip and stuck on something? Get in touch – I'm happy to help.