Darbhanga Ghat, Varanasi: The Palace Ghat, BrijRama and Boat Guide

ॐEssential info at a glance

ॐDarbhanga Ghat timings and the Ganga aarti nearby

As a public riverfront the ghat is open around the clock and free. It is one of the more elegant and photogenic ghats, quieter than its famous neighbour, and it does not host a grand aarti of its own. The great nightly Ganga aarti is only about 300 metres away at Dashashwamedh, an easy walk, so many visitors enjoy the calm and the architecture of Darbhanga and then step over for the ceremony.

ॐDarbhanga Ghat: a palace on the river

Darbhanga is one of the ghats that make the Varanasi riverfront look like a painting, for here a magnificent palace rises straight from the steps, its grand sandstone facade towering over the Ganga. The story begins in 1812, when Shridhara Narayana Munshi, the finance minister of the Nagpur estate, built a fine residence here, and the ghat was first called Munshi Ghat after him. Then, in 1915, the palace passed to the royal family of Darbhanga in Bihar, and the ghat came to be known as Darbhanga Ghat. The Darbhanga kings extended and beautified the palace, adding another floor, Greek and Roman touches to its architecture, and, remarkably, one of the very first elevators in all of South Asia.

The result is one of the most striking buildings on the whole riverfront, a blend of Maratha-style royalty in reddish sandstone with Western flourishes, murals and fine carving. On the ghat itself stands a Shiva shrine where devotees still worship, but it is the palace, and its reflection in the river at dawn, that makes people stop and stare.

ॐThe BrijRama Palace

The palace of Darbhanga Ghat has had a second life. By the late twentieth century it had fallen into disrepair, until in 1994 it was acquired by a hospitality group who devoted some eighteen years to painstakingly restoring it, and reopened it as BrijRama Palace, now one of the oldest and most beautiful heritage hotels in all of Varanasi. Within its walls are Maratha-style architecture and reddish-pink sandstone, intricate murals and thikri mirror-work, life-sized wooden figures and Greco-Roman carvings, and even that historic old elevator, said to be among the first in the country.

You do not have to be a guest to appreciate it, for its facade is the glory of the ghat, but for travellers who wish to, it offers a rare way to stay right on the sacred river, in royal comfort, with the aartis unfolding below the windows. We can help arrange a heritage stay, a meal at its riverside restaurant, or a visit, for those who would like to experience the palace from within.

ॐA photographer's and boat-lover's ghat

If you love to photograph Varanasi, Darbhanga is a ghat you must not miss. The palatial facade rising above the water, especially in the golden light of sunrise or late afternoon, is one of the most photogenic sights on the river, and the ghat has featured in countless photographs and films. It is quieter and more elegant than the busy central ghats, a lovely place to pause. And the finest way to take it in is from a boat, drifting out on the Ganga with the whole palace laid out before you, its stone glowing and mirrored in the water.

ॐA fine spot for the Ganga aarti, honestly

Because Darbhanga is only about 300 metres from Dashashwamedh Ghat, it is a good base for the grand evening Ganga aarti. A word of honest advice, though: near the aarti you will find touts selling so-called VIP front-row chairs or premium boat seats, often at inflated prices. You do not need them. You can simply walk over to Dashashwamedh and arrive thirty to forty-five minutes early to get a good place on the steps, or, far better, watch the whole ceremony from a private boat on the river, which gives you the finest and most peaceful view of all. We arrange exactly that, a fairly priced private boat, so you can enjoy the aarti without the crush or the touts.

ॐA ghat like a painting, in my own words

By Rajeev Sharma, Varanasi local

Darbhanga is the ghat I take people to when they want the most beautiful photographs of Varanasi. I bring them out on a boat at sunrise, and when the light hits that great sandstone palace and it glows above the river, people simply go quiet and reach for their cameras. I tell them the story, how it began as the Munshi's house in 1812, how the kings of Darbhanga made it grand, how it even had one of the first lifts in the whole country, and how it has been reborn as the lovely BrijRama Palace.

I am always honest with my guests about the aarti. I tell them not to buy the touts' 'VIP' chairs at Dashashwamedh, that we can either arrive early on the steps or, much better, watch from our own boat on the river, which is calmer and more beautiful anyway. And for guests who want something truly special, I help arrange a meal or a night at the palace itself, right on the water. Darbhanga is where I show people that Varanasi is not only intense and sacred, but also, in places, breathtakingly elegant.

In more than forty years of guiding, this is the ghat that most often takes a traveller's breath away at first sight.

ॐWhat to see and do

• Admire the grand sandstone palace facade rising above the ghat, best in the golden light.
• Take a boat at sunrise for the finest view of the palace mirrored in the river.
• Walk over to Dashashwamedh, 300 m away, for the grand evening Ganga aarti.
• Photograph one of the most beautiful and elegant stretches of the riverfront.
• For a special experience, arrange a meal or a heritage stay at BrijRama Palace.

ॐHow to reach Darbhanga Ghat

The ghat is on the central riverfront, just south of Dashashwamedh, between Munshi Ghat and Rana Mahal Ghat. You reach it on foot through the old city lanes, or by boat along the river.

The loveliest way to see the ghat is by boat, especially at sunrise. We arrange the boat, the timing and a guide.

ॐBest time to visit and how to plan it

• Pair it with Dashashwamedh Ghat, Man Mandir Ghat and the central ghats, and a boat ride.
• Allow 20 to 40 minutes, longer for a boat or a meal at the palace.

For the ghats and the aarti planned as one evening, see our Varanasi tour packages.

ॐAccessibility for elderly and mobility limited visitors

• The ghat has stone steps; those with limited mobility should take care, and note the river can flood the lower steps at high water.
• A boat lets you enjoy the palace and the river with little walking.
• BrijRama Palace has an elevator from the ghat, which helps those staying or dining there.
• We arrange a boat with comfortable seating and plan a gentle visit and aarti view.

ॐNearby sites to combine with your visit

Darbhanga sits in the heart of the central riverfront, among the great ghats of Kashi.

For the grand evening aarti and a boat ride, see our Varanasi tour packages.

ॐPractical tips

ॐOur boat rides, aarti views and heritage visits

We are a Varanasi based operator, a unit of Experience My India, with more than forty years of guiding travellers across Kashi, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj. The ghat is free, so what we arrange is the experience: a sunrise boat for the finest view and photographs of the palace, a fairly priced private boat for the grand Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh without the touts, a guided walk of the palace ghats and their history, and, for those who wish, a heritage stay, a meal or a visit at BrijRama Palace.

Inclusions and exclusions are stated up front, with any taxes and conditions, and no charge appears later that was not named. See all our Varanasi tour packages for the full range.

Experience My India is a travel operator, not a temple or government body, and does not own BrijRama Palace, which is an independent heritage hotel. Ghat access is free and public; our boats and services are ours, and hotel arrangements are priced separately.