Varanasi (Kashi)

Permits & entry — Varanasi falls entirely outside all ILP, PAP, and RAP restricted-area zones; no permit is required for Indian nationals or foreign tourists holding a valid Indian visa. Kashi Vishwanath Temple prohibits all leather items (shoes, belts, bags) — a cloakroom is provided at entry — and bans mobile phones inside the inner sanctum (garbhagriha), though phones are permitted in the outer Dham corridor and complex. Security queues run 45–90 minutes on regular weekdays, 2–3 hours on other weekends, 3–4 hours on Mondays (Somavar, Shiva's sacred day) even in off-peak months, and 4–5+ hours on Mahashivaratri; book fast-track darshan slots in advance at kvtemple.org or the official temple app (confirm the exact app-store listing name before travel). Photography at Manikarnika and Harishchandra cremation ghats carries no formal legal prohibition but is subject to a strict community ban enforced in person by the Dom cremation community; attempting to photograph leads to immediate confrontation and unofficial payment demands — treat it as an absolute ban and stow all phones and cameras before approaching either ghat. Sarnath ASI site entry fees are approximately Rs 40 (Indian nationals) and Rs 600 (foreign nationals), though ASI revised rates across centrally protected monuments in 2024 and the foreign-national fee may now be Rs 800 or higher — reconfirm at the gate or at asi.nic.in before quoting clients. The Dhamekh Stupa archaeological zone and the Sarnath Archaeological Museum are separately ticketed.