Rituals and occasions
Temple, ritual & pujaOccasions, dining & giftsPhotography & filmsSpecialist servicesThis journey is planned around one purpose: offering Pind Daan and shraddha for those your family wishes to remember. It begins in Varanasi with the evening Ganga aarti, then a morning of rites at the Ganga ghats with a verified priest and darshan at Kashi Vishwanath. On Day 3 you travel to Gaya by road or train. Day 4 is given to the rites at the Vishnupad temple and the Falgu, with Akshayavat, and on the last morning there is time for the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya before your departure from Gaya.
Families travelling to offer Pind Daan and shraddha for parents and ancestors in Kashi and at Gaya, including those arranging the journey for an elder. Parents travelling with family support can choose SHRAVAN Varanasi and Gaya, which adds a companion and a slower pace.
The rites take most of the Day 2 and Day 4 mornings and the priests fix the start times, so no travel is planned on those days. The Mahabodhi visit on Day 5 suits a flight or train after about midday. Flights from Gaya are limited and seasonal schedules change, so we confirm your departure before fixing the programme. During Pitru Paksha, roads into Gaya are congested and rooms scarce; allow extra time.
A proposed programme with its travel and rest built in. We adjust the order to your arrival, the season and your pace.
Your driver meets you at the airport or station and takes you to the hotel. Premium and Luxury guests are also welcomed by a member of the team.
Your coordinator confirms the details the priests will need, such as the names of those being remembered and the family's gotra if known, and goes through the plan for Kashi and Gaya.
The aarti at Dashashwamedh, watched from the ghat steps, from arranged seating where available at Premium, or from a private boat at Luxury.
Overnight · Varanasi
The family member making the offerings sits with a verified priest on the ghat for the sankalp, the offering of pinda and tarpan with water from the Ganga. The ghat, sequence and timing are agreed with your family before you travel; Luxury guests have a quieter private space where the ghat allows.
Back to the hotel to bathe and rest. Many families keep simple vegetarian meals on the day of the rites.
Darshan through the temple corridor. Phones and bags are not allowed inside; queues vary and no darshan time is promised.
Overnight · Varanasi
About 250 km by road along the Grand Trunk Road, usually five to six hours with stops. Trains from Varanasi or Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction to Gaya Junction take about three to four hours and can replace the drive.
A quiet afternoon at the hotel in Gaya or Bodh Gaya, about half an hour apart.
The Gaya priest or a representative confirms the sequence, the start time, and what to bring and wear, in person where possible or by phone.
Overnight · Gaya or Bodh Gaya
The rites begin on the bank of the Phalgu (Falgu) and at the Vishnupad temple, with its footprint of Vishnu set in stone. The family member making the offerings follows the priest through the sankalp and the offering of pinda for those being remembered.
The sequence continues at Falgu Ghat and concludes at Akshayavat, the banyan where the rites traditionally end. Your priest decides the exact order and sites.
A quiet afternoon, with nothing scheduled.
Overnight · Gaya or Bodh Gaya
A short visit to the temple and the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Mobile phones are usually deposited at the entrance and your coordinator confirms the current rules; shoes come off inside.
Drop at Gaya airport or Gaya Junction for your onward flight or train.
Overnight · Departure day
In Varanasi the rites are on the ghat steps, which are steep and can be wet. At Gaya they move between the Phalgu riverbank, the Vishnupad temple and Akshayavat, on foot and by short drives. Temple lanes are crowded, and the riverbank is sandy or uneven with steps down to the water. Outside the monsoon the Falgu is often a dry sandy bed; a rubber dam near the temple, opened in 2022, was built to hold water for the rites, but levels still vary.
Rites usually begin in the morning at a time the priest sets; expect to leave the hotel between about 6.30 and 7.30 am on Day 2 and Day 4.
Varanasi boats board from the ghat steps, which can be steep, uneven and wet. River operation depends on water levels, weather and local orders, and is often suspended at the monsoon peak; if a boat cannot run, we suggest a riverside walk or another session.
The rites involve sitting on the ground for long periods, standing in crowded lanes and walking on uneven ground. Tell us about knee, back or mobility needs: priests can often adapt seating, and a host can stay close. We do not describe these sites as accessible.
Pitru Paksha, the fortnight for ancestral rites in September or October, is Gaya's busiest time, with very large crowds, scarce rooms and high demand for priests; families who wish to come then should enquire early. Rites are offered through the year. April to June is very hot; winter mornings are cold and often foggy.
The same journey at three levels of comfort and support. The quotation names the actual hotels, vehicle and inclusions before you pay anything.
Comfortable and well located, with the essentials arranged well.
Better stays and more help: private boats, escorted darshan, a stronger car.
The finest stays, a luxury car and every special session handled for you.
Every level: a named coordinator on phone and WhatsApp, and one complete quotation before any payment.
Arrival transfer from Varanasi airport or station, and drop at Gaya airport or Gaya Junction on the last day
Private chauffeured transport in the upgraded vehicle group below, including the Varanasi to Gaya drive and the Bodh Gaya visit
Vehicle group upgraded to an Innova Crysta or similar SUV, subject to availability and named in your quotation
A member of the team welcomes you at Varanasi airport or station and sees you to the hotel. No restricted-area or baggage-hall access is implied
Aarti viewing from arranged seating where available
Accompanied darshan assistance at Kashi Vishwanath and the Vishnupad temple
A verified Vedic Brahmin priest for Pind Daan and shraddha at the Ganga ghats (Day 2) and at Gaya (Day 4), with private puja materials and the ghat setup arranged: scope agreed with the family before travel, start times and sequence of sites. Priest dakshina and materials are itemised in your quotation
A host who stays with the family through both mornings of rites: belongings, footwear, water, timings and liaison with the priest
Keep Premium and add any of these on their own. They are quoted with your journey.
Add them to My Journey. If something is already part of your tier it shows as included, and nothing is charged twice.
Sacred & ritualA hosted puja to the Ganga on the ghats of Varanasi, with a priest, materials and scope defined in advance and each stage explained as it happens.
A companion for older guests who sets a comfortable pace, helps with steps and crowds, and keeps family informed with consent, within a defined non-medical scope.
Wheelchairs, walking aids and assistants requested separately, with each part of your route assessed for steps, ramps and boarding before anything is confirmed.
We find a priest for the ritual you have in mind, agree the place, materials, timing and dakshina, and explain what you will need to do.
Help finding and booking flights and trains that fit your journey, with fares and terms shown separately and nothing treated as confirmed until tickets are issued.
A priest in Kashi and a priest at Gaya conduct the rites, and the family member making the offerings follows their guidance. Standard arranges a local priest, Premium a verified Vedic Brahmin priest and Luxury a senior Vedic scholar. If your family has a long-standing priest at Gaya, tell us and we will coordinate with them.
Each set of rites usually takes one morning: at the Ganga ghats in Kashi, and at the Phalgu, the Vishnupad temple and Akshayavat in Gaya. Some family traditions call for a longer sequence over several days at more sites; if so, tell us and we will plan more nights in Gaya.
Yes, a short visit to the Mahabodhi Temple on the last morning, and you may stay in Bodh Gaya, which has the wider choice of hotels. Gaya and Bodh Gaya are different places, about half an hour apart; the rites themselves take place in Gaya.
Usually at one of the Ganga ghats, with a verified priest. Some families prefer Pishach Mochan Kund or another site their tradition names; tell us and we agree the place, priest and timing with you before you travel.
Availability and cancellation. Hotels, vehicles, boats, guides and temple arrangements are confirmed when we prepare your quotation, and they depend on dates, weather, river levels and the rules of each site. Cancellation terms follow the suppliers in your journey and are set out in the quotation. Booking terms
This is a request for a personalised quotation, not a booking. No payment is required to send your preferences.
Tell us the places on your mind, your dates and who is travelling. We reply with a written proposal shaped around you.
