Shri Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Varanasi

At a glance

• Deity: Hanuman as Sankat Mochan, "the one who frees from trouble", with a shrine of Rama facing him.
• Location: Sankat Mochan Road, near the Assi river and Banaras Hindu University (BHU), south Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Founded by tradition: Goswami Tulsidas, author of the Ramcharitmanas.
• Run by: the temple's hereditary Mahant family; the present Mahant is Prof. Vishwambhar Nath Mishra of IIT (BHU).
• Busiest days: Tuesday and Saturday, and Hanuman Jayanti.
• Phones and cameras: not allowed inside; there are lockers at the gate.

Tulsidas and the vision of Hanuman

Every account of Sankat Mochan begins with Tulsidas. The story, first written down in Priyadas's commentary on the Bhaktamal around 1713, goes like this: Tulsidas was told that Hanuman came every day to hear the Ramayana being recited, disguised as an old, sick man (in many tellings a leper) who was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Tulsidas followed him out of the gathering and fell at his feet in a wooded clearing on the bank of the Assi, and Hanuman revealed himself. The temple stands on the spot where that meeting is believed to have happened, and tradition holds that Tulsidas wrote a good part of the Ramcharitmanas here. Details differ from one telling to another (who pointed Tulsidas to the old man, exactly what was said), so treat the specifics as devotional memory rather than history.

What is on firmer ground is this: the inner shrine holds a stone image of Hanuman that scholars such as Philip Lutgendorf accept as going back to Tulsidas's time, while most of the buildings you see today date from the middle of the twentieth century, when Varanasi spread south towards BHU and the temple grew with it. You will also hear a popular belief that Hanuman himself fashioned the image for Tulsidas out of clay; that is a devotional tradition, not something the records can confirm.

The shrine

Hanuman here is covered in bright orange sindoor, the way he is worshipped across north India. The feature devotees point out first is that he stands facing a shrine of Rama across the courtyard, as if forever gazing at his Lord, which is the whole of Hanuman's bhakti in one image. The temple sits inside an eight-and-a-half-acre patch of semi-wild woodland, and the troops of monkeys that live there are a big part of the visit (keep food and loose items out of sight).

Sankat Mochan is above all a temple of the Ramcharitmanas. Devotees recite it before the shrine morning and evening, and many simply sit in the courtyard reading the Hanuman Chalisa or the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ashtak, the eight verses that gave the temple's deity his popular name. The temple has long supported the Ramlila at Tulsi Ghat as well. Because Hanuman is believed to shield devotees from the harsh influence of Mars and Saturn, many people come here on astrological advice, especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Darshan timings

The temple does not publish a timetable online, and the hours quoted elsewhere vary. As commonly reported (as of October 2026):

• The temple opens around 4:30–5 am and closes around 10–10:30 pm.
• Darshan is often reported to pause for a few hours around midday (roughly noon to 3 pm).
• On Tuesdays and Saturdays it is said to stay open later, close to midnight.
• There is an early-morning aarti and an evening/night aarti; the evening aarti draws the biggest crowd of the day.

Please treat these as a guide and confirm locally, especially around festivals, when the routine changes.

Rules you should know

• No mobile phones or cameras inside. Deposit them in the lockers outside the gate before you join the queue; photography inside the complex is not permitted.
• Security: on 7 March 2006 a bomb exploded in the temple during evening prayers while a wedding party was present. Devotees helped one another through the rescue and resumed worship the next morning, and a permanent police post has been inside the temple ever since. Expect frisking and keep bags small.
• Dress: there is no published dress code, but this is a working temple; modest clothing and bare feet inside are expected. Footwear is left at the stands outside.

Offerings and prasad

The classic offering here is besan ke laddu, along with sindoor, marigold garlands and tulsi. Buy prasad from the shops inside the temple premises rather than from hawkers on the road. Many devotees also offer a chola (sindoor and oil) to Hanuman on Tuesdays and Saturdays as a vow.

Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh

Every April, around Hanuman Jayanti, the temple hosts the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, a classical music and dance festival that runs for about six nights. It is unusual in two ways: entry is free for everyone, and the artists, many of them among the biggest names in Hindustani and classical dance, perform without a fee, as an offering to Hanuman. The festival is more than a century old; its 102nd edition was held from 16 to 21 April 2025. Concerts go on through the night in the temple courtyard, so come late and bring patience. The phone rule still applies.

Festivals

• Hanuman Jayanti (Chaitra Purnima) is the year's biggest day, with the Sangeet Samaroh around it.
• Tuesdays and Saturdays through the year bring long queues, especially in the evening.
• Ramcharitmanas recitations through the night are held on special occasions, with groups from across the city taking turns.

How to reach

• By train: Banaras station (formerly Manduadih) is the closest major station, a few kilometres away; Varanasi Junction (Cantt) is about 6–7 km. Autos and e-rickshaws run to the temple.
• By air: Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur is roughly 25–30 km away, usually 45 minutes to an hour by road.
• Within the city: it is close to BHU, Durga Kund and Tulsi Manas Mandir, and about 2 km from Assi Ghat, so it fits easily into a morning in south Varanasi. It is in a different part of the city from Kashi Vishwanath, which is near Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Practical tips

• For a quiet darshan, come early on a weekday; avoid Tuesday and Saturday evenings if crowds bother you.
• Leave your phone at the locker before queuing, or better, leave it at your hotel.
• Keep spectacles, prasad and bags close; the monkeys are quick.
• Combine with Durga Kund and Tulsi Manas Mandir nearby, and Assi Ghat for the evening.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Sankat Mochan temple timings?

It usually opens around 4:30–5 am and closes around 10–10:30 pm, with a reported midday break and longer hours on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The temple does not publish an online timetable, so confirm locally before you go.

Who founded the Sankat Mochan temple?

Tradition credits Goswami Tulsidas, who is believed to have had a vision of Hanuman at this spot. The inner image is old, but most of the present buildings date from the twentieth century.

Are mobile phones allowed in Sankat Mochan temple?

No. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside, and photography is prohibited. Lockers are provided at the entrance.

What is the best day to visit Sankat Mochan?

Tuesday and Saturday are Hanuman's days and the most auspicious, but also the most crowded. For an unhurried darshan, a weekday morning is best.

What prasad is offered at Sankat Mochan?

Besan ke laddu is the traditional prasad, best bought from the shops inside the temple premises, along with sindoor and marigold garlands.

When is the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh?

Every April around Hanuman Jayanti, for about six nights. Entry is free, and artists perform without a fee as an offering.

How far is Sankat Mochan from Kashi Vishwanath?

About 5 km by road, in the south of the city near BHU. Allow 20–40 minutes by auto depending on traffic.

Why does Hanuman face Rama in this temple?

The Rama shrine is set opposite Hanuman so that he stands forever looking at his Lord, an image of the devotion for which Sankat Mochan is loved.