Scindia Ghat
Also Known As · Shinde Ghat; Sindhia Ghat; known for the Ratneshwar Mahadev 'Leaning Temple of Banaras'
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh · monument
Hushed, weathered riverfront where a slanting sandstone spire rises straight from the Ganga — contemplative, cinematic and best at first light.
- Days OpenOpen 24 hrs
- Entry FeeFree Entry
- Best SeasonOctober to March for cool, pleasant weather; April–June if you specifically want to see the leaning temple's submerged sanctum re-emerge as the river drops.
- Best Time of DaySunrise — for soft light, still water and the sharpest reflection of the tilted shikhara.
- Time NeededAbout 30–45 minutes on foot, or 15–20 minutes from a passing boat.
- Nearest MetroVaranasi has no metro. The nearest railhead is Varanasi Junction
- Crowd LevelsGenerally calm and uncrowded compared with neighbouring Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika; photographers gather at sunrise but it rarely feels busy.
- Kid Friendly3 of 5
- Wheelchair AccessNo
Scindia Ghat unfurls along the western bank of the Ganga just north of the great cremation ground of Manikarnika, and for many travellers it is the most photographed stretch of riverfront in Kashi that is not, itself, a place of high ceremony. The reason rises straight out of the water: the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, a slender sandstone shikhara that tilts at roughly nine degrees toward the river and stands submerged to its sanctum for much of the year. Locals call it the Leaning Temple of Banaras, and the sight of its curved tower reflected in the brown current at dawn — steeper, they proudly note, than the Tower of Pisa — has made this ghat a pilgrimage for photographers as much as for the devout.
Where to Eat Nearby
Nearby Vegetarian Eats
Kashi Chat Bhandar
0.9 km awayTamatar chaat and palak chaat, finished with desi ghee
Ksheer Sagar
0.6 km awayHand-beaten malai lassi topped with fresh fruit, saffron and rose
Ram Bhandar
0.8 km awayKachori-sabzi with hot jalebi in the morning
About
Scindia Ghat unfurls along the western bank of the Ganga just north of the great cremation ground of Manikarnika, and for many travellers it is the most photographed stretch of riverfront in Kashi that is not, itself, a place of high ceremony.
- The reason rises straight out of the water: the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, a slender sandstone shikhara that tilts at roughly nine degrees toward the river and stands submerged to its sanctum for much of the year.
- Locals call it the Leaning Temple of Banaras, and the sight of its curved tower reflected in the brown current at dawn — steeper, they proudly note, than the Tower of Pisa — has made this ghat a pilgrimage for photographers as much as for the devout.
- The ghat takes its name from the Scindia (Shinde) rulers of Gwalior, who financed its heavy stone embankment in the first half of the 19th century; Maharani Baijabai Scindia is credited with the works around 1830.
- The masonry was so massive that the entire terrace began to settle almost as soon as it was built, sinking steadily into the soft riverbank — a slow subsidence that eventually left the Ratneshwar shrine listing into the Ganga.
- Kashi's older lore attaches deeper meaning to the spot: this is held to be the birthplace of Agni, the Vedic god of fire, and the nearby Vireshwar Mahadev shrine is revered by couples who come to seek the blessing of a son.
- In the hot pre-monsoon weeks, when the river drops, the temple's flooded garbhagriha briefly reappears and draws a trickle of quiet worshippers.
- Because it sits between busy Dashashwamedh and the ceaseless activity of Manikarnika, Scindia Ghat feels comparatively hushed — a place to sit on warm stone, watch boats drift, and let the light change.
- The finest way to see the leaning temple is from a slow rowboat on the water, ideally soon after sunrise.
- Do remember that the adjoining Manikarnika is a working cremation ghat: keep to Scindia's steps, lower your voice near the burning grounds, and never photograph pyres, the deceased, or grieving families.
- For the vegetarian traveller, this corner of the old city could hardly be easier — Varanasi's tangle of lanes behind the ghats is overwhelmingly satvik and pure-vegetarian by long tradition.
- A short walk up through Godowlia and the Vishwanath lanes brings you to legends such as Kashi Chat Bhandar for tamatar and palak chaat, the tiny blue-tiled Ksheer Sagar for hand-beaten malai lassi crowned with fresh fruit and saffron, and Ram Bhandar for morning kachori-sabzi and syrup-soaked jalebi.
- All are strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free, so you can eat your way through the neighbourhood without a second thought about what's on the plate.
Timings & Entry Fee
Visiting Hours
- • Open 24 hours — an open-air public ghat
- • Best light: sunrise 5:30–7:00 AM and the golden hour before sunset
Entry Fee: Free. Scindia Ghat is an open public riverfront with no entry ticket. A shared or private rowboat to view the leaning temple from the water is the only likely cost — negotiate the fare with the boatman in advance.
Verified: July 2026
Location & How to Reach
Address
Scindia Ghat, near Manikarnika Ghat, Ghasi Tola, Old City, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221001
Immediately north of Manikarnika Ghat; the leaning Ratneshwar Mahadev temple rising from the river
🚇 Nearest Metro: Varanasi has no metro. The nearest railhead is Varanasi Junction (BSB), about 4.5 km away; the old-city road access point is Godowlia Crossing, roughly 700 m of lanes from the ghat.
🚶 Walking from Metro: No metro exists. From Godowlia Crossing it is a roughly 700 m (10–12 minute) walk down the sloping lanes past Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika to reach Scindia Ghat.
Distance from
- • Varanasi Junction (BSB) railway station: 4.5 km (~25 min)
- • Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Babatpur: 26 km (~60 min)
- • Godowlia Crossing (old-city road access): 0.7 km (~12 min)
Parking
none · N/A
No vehicle access to the ghat. Motor vehicles stop at Godowlia; park there or near Maidagin and walk in through the pedestrian lanes.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: App cabs and autos can only reach the edge of the old city (Godowlia/Maidagin). Book a drop to 'Godowlia Chowk', keep the pin there, and walk the final stretch — drivers will not enter the alleys.
How to Reach: Scindia Ghat lies deep in Varanasi's old city, immediately north of Manikarnika Ghat. From Varanasi Junction (BSB) railway station, about 4.5 km away, take an auto-rickshaw or taxi to Godowlia Crossing (roughly 3.4 km), then walk the final 700 m down the pedestrian-only lanes toward the river — motor vehicles cannot enter the old-city alleys. From Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur (about 26 km), allow 45–60 minutes by taxi to Godowlia. Many visitors arrive most memorably by rowboat, walking down to the river from Dashashwamedh or drifting up from the ghats to the south.
Things to Do
- Photograph the leaning Ratneshwar Mahadev temple at sunrise, ideally from a boat
- Take a slow rowboat ride to see Scindia and the neighbouring ghats from the water
- Sit on the stone steps and watch riverside life and passing pilgrims
- Walk the atmospheric old-city lanes up toward Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- Refuel on pure-veg chaat, kachori and malai lassi in nearby Godowlia
Best Time to Visit
History & Significance
History
Scindia Ghat owes its name and its heavy stone form to the Scindia (Shinde) rulers of Gwalior, who patronised its construction in the early 19th century; Maharani Baijabai Scindia is credited with the embankment works around 1830, with the Scindia family further fortifying the site in later decades.
- The masonry was unusually massive, and the ghat began to subside almost from the moment it was raised, settling several feet into the soft riverbank.
- That slow sinking left the adjoining Ratneshwar Mahadev temple — its own construction dated by revenue records to roughly 1825–1830 — leaning steadily toward the Ganga.
- Photographs from the 1860s show the shrine still upright, indicating that the pronounced tilt developed later, most likely accelerated by a perpetually waterlogged foundation as the temple stood submerged for months each year.
🏛️ Architect: The ghat is defined by robust, large-block sandstone masonry typical of Maratha-era riverfront engineering, terraced in broad steps down to the water. Its signature structure, the Ratneshwar Mahadev temple, is a compact North Indian nagara-style shrine with a curvilinear shikhara; today it is celebrated less for ornament than for its extraordinary ~9-degree tilt and its half-submerged stance in the river.
Significance
Beyond its striking silhouette, Scindia Ghat carries old Kashi associations: it is revered as the birthplace of Agni, the Vedic god of fire, and its Vireshwar Mahadev shrine draws couples seeking the blessing of a son.
- For visitors, the ghat's real significance is atmospheric — a quieter, contemplative counterpoint to the ceremony of Dashashwamedh and the solemnity of Manikarnika, crowned by one of the most photographed sacred ruins on the Ganga.
Places to Visit Nearby
Manikarnika Ghat
0.2 km awayVaranasi's principal, deeply solemn cremation ghat — observe quietly and respectfully
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
0.6 km awayThe golden-spired heart of Kashi and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas
Dashashwamedh Ghat
0.9 km awayThe grand, lamp-lit stage of the nightly Ganga Aarti
Family & Accessibility
Family Highlights
- • Spotting the dramatically leaning temple from a boat delights older children
- • Gentle boat rides and watching riverside life
- • Open steps to sit and watch birds and boats on the Ganga
Photography & Drone
💰 Equipment Fees: None for handheld cameras and phones; drones are not allowed over the old-city ghats.
📍 The Golden Spot: From a rowboat on the water, framing the tilted Ratneshwar shikhara against the ghat's stone terraces
🌅 Best Light Time: First 30 minutes after sunrise, when the low sun warms the sandstone and the river is mirror-calm
Tips & Safety
⚠️ Common Scams
Inflated boat fares
Boatmen may quote steep, vague per-person prices, especially at sunrise, then demand more mid-ride.
Official AdviceAgree a total price for the whole boat (not per head) and the exact route and duration before boarding; pay after.
Forced 'guide' or ritual fees
Self-appointed guides or priests may attach themselves near the ghats and later demand payment for an unrequested tour or blessing.
Official AdvicePolitely decline at the outset. You do not need a paid guide to sit at Scindia Ghat or view the leaning temple.
Donation pressure near cremation grounds
Near Manikarnika, some individuals solicit large 'wood' or 'charity' donations from tourists.
Official AdviceThere is no fee to walk or watch respectfully. Give only to established institutions if you wish, and never feel pressured.
💡 Insider Tips
🌅 Secret View: Drift a little downstream by boat and frame the leaning temple with Manikarnika's smoke rising far behind it — a haunting, layered composition at dawn.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Arrive before 6:30 AM: you beat the sunrise photo-boats and often have the ghat's upper steps almost to yourself.
💎 Secret Fact: The temple's roughly nine-degree lean is steeper than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and it stays underwater for much of the year — its sanctum only surfaces briefly in the hot pre-monsoon weeks.
⚡ Express Tour
20 minutes: walk down from Dashashwamedh, photograph the leaning temple from the steps, and continue on toward Manikarnika.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
Half a morning: hire a sunrise rowboat from Dashashwamedh, drift past Scindia and the leaning temple, land to walk the lanes, and finish with chaat and lassi in Godowlia.
🙏 Etiquette & Dress Code
Do's
- Come at sunrise and, ideally, view the leaning Ratneshwar temple from a slow rowboat
- Wear grippy footwear — the stone steps can be slick, wet or uneven
- Negotiate and confirm the boat fare before you step aboard
- Keep a respectful, quiet demeanour, as the adjoining Manikarnika is a working cremation ghat
- Carry small cash for the boatman, chai stalls and old-city eateries
Don'ts
- Never photograph funeral pyres, the deceased or mourning families at the neighbouring Manikarnika ghat
- Don't attempt to wade or climb onto the submerged temple — the current and footing are dangerous
- Don't litter or leave plastic on the ghat steps or in the river
- Don't engage touts promising 'special' temple access or paid rituals
👕 Dress Code: Modest, comfortable clothing covering shoulders and knees is appropriate near the shrines; easily removable footwear helps on the steps.
📷 Photography Rules: Free photography of the ghat, boats and the leaning temple is welcome and encouraged. However, photography of cremations, pyres, bodies or mourners at the adjacent Manikarnika Ghat is strictly forbidden — respect this without exception. Drones are not permitted over the old city ghats.
Good to Know
💳 Money & Connectivity
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs are clustered around Godowlia Crossing, roughly 700 m up from the ghat; carry cash before heading down the lanes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the temple at Scindia Ghat leaning and half-submerged?
The Ratneshwar Mahadev temple tilts at about nine degrees because the ghat's very heavy stone masonry settled into the soft riverbank, and the shrine's foundation has stayed waterlogged for months each year. It remains partly underwater for much of the year, with its sanctum resurfacing only when the river drops in the hot pre-monsoon weeks.
Is there an entry fee for Scindia Ghat?
No. Scindia Ghat is a free, open public riverfront. The only likely cost is a rowboat to view the leaning temple from the water, whose fare you negotiate directly with the boatman.
What is the best time to visit Scindia Ghat?
Sunrise (around 5:30–7:00 AM) is ideal for soft light, calm water and the clearest reflection of the tilted temple. October to March offers the most pleasant weather, while April–June is when the temple's submerged sanctum tends to re-emerge.
How do I reach Scindia Ghat?
Take an auto or taxi to Godowlia Crossing (about 3.4 km from Varanasi Junction), then walk roughly 700 m through the pedestrian-only old-city lanes past Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika. Vehicles cannot enter the alleys. Many visitors also arrive by rowboat.
Can I take photographs at Scindia Ghat?
Yes — the ghat, boats and leaning temple are wonderful to photograph. However, photography of cremations, pyres, bodies or mourners at the neighbouring Manikarnika Ghat is strictly forbidden, and drones are not allowed over the old-city ghats.
Where can vegetarians eat near Scindia Ghat?
The surrounding old city is overwhelmingly pure-vegetarian. Within a short walk you'll find Kashi Chat Bhandar for chaat, Ksheer Sagar for malai lassi, and Ram Bhandar for kachori-sabzi and jalebi — all strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free.