Beware of scammers on the ghats. Touts and self-styled “guides” or “priests” roam the Ganga ghats and temple lanes, offering VIP darshan, pujas, boat rides or “donations for cremation wood”. Never pay anyone in advance, and never pay for a service before you have actually received it. Book temple services only through the official trust.
Not allowed inside
- Mobile phones, smart watches, earphones and fitness bands
- Cameras, power banks and any other electronics
- Bags of any size, including small handbags and backpacks
- Leather items — belts, wallets, purses
- Cigarettes, lighters, matches, tobacco and gutka
- Food (other than sealed offerings bought for the deity) and outside drinks
- Sharp objects, including keys with knives and nail cutters
Heads up. Rules are applied strictly at the frisking point. If you arrive with any of these you will be sent back to the locker counter and lose your place in the queue.
You can carry
- A small amount of cash (in a cloth pouch or pocket)
- Your ID or passport — foreign nationals should carry their passport
- Printed or on-paper copy of your Sugam darshan or aarti booking
- Offerings: flowers, bel leaves, a small lota of milk or Ganga jal, prasad
- Spectacles and essential medicines
Lockers and footwear
Free and paid locker counters are run near the main entry gates; shops in the lanes also offer to keep your things if you buy offerings from them. Queues at lockers can be long in the morning rush.
Footwear is removed before entry. Leave it at the shoe stands near the gates or at your shop. In summer the stone floor gets hot — mats are laid down, but darshan early or late is kinder on your feet.
Local tip. Stay within walking distance and simply leave everything in your room. It is the fastest way through.
What to wear
There is no strict dress code for general darshan, but clothing should be modest and respectful: shoulders and knees covered for everyone. Traditional wear — kurta-pyjama, dhoti, saree, salwar kameez — is always appropriate. Avoid shorts, sleeveless tops and short skirts.
For some special pujas and certain aartis, the temple trust may ask men to wear dhoti-kurta and women to wear saree. Check the instructions on your booking.
Foreign nationals
Foreign visitors are welcome, and the temple trust runs a separate foreigner darshan ticket.
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01
Go to the darshan booking desk
The help desk is near Gate 4. Staff at any gate will direct you.
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02
Show your original passport
And hand over a photocopy of your passport photo page and visa. Keep a few copies with you.
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03
Pay the foreigner ticket fee
Reported at about ₹600 per person; confirm the current fee at the desk or on the official site.
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04
Deposit phone and bag, then enter
The same rules on electronics, bags and leather apply to everyone.
Local tip. The official website has a “Foreigner Ticket Booking Process” page — check it before you go: shrikashivishwanath.org.
Inside the temple
- Move with the queue; the staff keep it flowing, especially near the sanctum.
- Priests may offer a sankalp or puja for a dakshina. You are free to politely decline.
- Photography is prohibited everywhere inside the temple.
- Keep children close — the crowd surges near the sanctum doorways.
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