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Shri Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple

Sankat Mochan Road, near the Assi river and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi · Lord Hanuman (the 'remover of troubles')

Varanasi's great Hanuman temple, where Tuesday and Saturday evenings fill the lanes with Hanuman Chalisa and where classical music is offered to the deity every April.

Sankat Mochan, 'remover of troubles', is the best-loved Hanuman temple of Varanasi. Tradition says the poet-saint Tulsidas, author of the Ramcharitmanas, founded it where he had a vision of Hanuman. It stands in the southern part of the city near the Assi river and Banaras Hindu University. Devotees come on Tuesdays and Saturdays to chant the Hanuman Chalisa and Sundarkand, and to offer besan laddus. Every April the temple hosts the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, a week of classical music and dance.

Timings

Daily rituals

Darshan types and costs

How to book darshan

Sankat Mochan is a walk-in temple. No official online booking site for darshan or poojas was found. Do not pay anyone online for 'special puja booking'.

  1. Go to the temple, deposit your phone, camera and bag in the locker facility near the entrance (Wikipedia says phones and cameras are not allowed inside).
  2. Buy besan laddu or other prasad from the shops inside the premises.
  3. Join the queue for darshan. Offer the prasad, take the priest's blessing and return your token at the locker.

Booking safely

Buy prasad from the shops inside the premises and ask the price first.

Prasadam and offerings

Dress code

Modest, traditional clothes. A tourism page asks for traditional or formal dress.

Temple etiquette

Why it matters

Hanuman is worshipped as the one who removes obstacles and fear. People come here before exams, journeys, surgeries or any worry, and many come every Tuesday or Saturday as a regular vow.

Tradition ties the temple to Tulsidas, who wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Varanasi. Because Tulsidas is believed to have seen Hanuman here, the Ramayana is recited before the main shrine every morning and evening, especially the Sundar Kand (the book of Hanuman's journey to Lanka).

The temple is also a living cultural place. The April music festival has hosted some of India's best-known classical artists, and singers and instrumentalists see playing here as an offering rather than a concert.

Legends

Tulsidas and the vision of Hanuman

The temple's tradition, as recorded on Wikipedia, is that Tulsidas founded it at the spot where he had a vision of Hanuman. Tulsidas lived in Varanasi for many years, and the nearby Tulsi Ghat is named after him. Different local accounts add further details of the vision; this guide keeps only the part that all accounts share.

History

16th–17th century (tradition): Founded by Tulsidas

Local tradition credits the poet-saint Tulsidas with founding the shrine. Exact dates are not documented in the sources read for this guide.

Early 1900s: Modern temple

A travel source states that the present temple was built in the early 1900s by the freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, founder of Banaras Hindu University. Wikipedia says most of the present structures date from the mid-20th century as the city grew south around the university.

1982: Sankat Mochan Foundation

Mahant Veer Bhadra Mishra founded the Sankat Mochan Foundation, a charity working to clean and protect the Ganga.

7 March 2006: Bomb blast during aarti

One of three explosions in Varanasi that day struck the temple during the evening aarti. Worship resumed the next day, and a permanent police post was later set up inside the temple.

Architecture

It is an active neighbourhood temple rather than an ancient monument. The compound has a main Hanuman shrine and a large open area where devotees sit and chant. Travel sources describe traditional North Indian architecture with carvings and paintings from Hindu mythology.

Monkeys live around the premises. They are generally harmless if left alone but can snatch prasad, so keep sweets inside your bag until you reach the shrine.

What to see

How to cover the temple

The usual route: lockers, a pooja basket of besan laddu from inside the premises, the darshan queue, and a few minutes of Hanuman Chalisa in the compound. Allow 1–2 hours; more on Tuesday and Saturday evenings.

  1. Sankat Mochan Road: Come by auto or taxi from your hotel. The temple is in southern Varanasi near Assi and BHU. Parking is limited.
  2. Leave phone, camera and bag: Phones and cameras are not allowed inside (Wikipedia); a locker facility is provided.
  3. Besan laddu: Buy besan laddu from the shops inside the premises. Keep it covered because of the monkeys.
  4. Hanuman sanctum: Join the queue, offer the prasad and take darshan.
  5. Hanuman Chalisa or Sundarkand: Sit in the compound for a while. Groups chant the Chalisa on Tuesday and Saturday evenings.

Customs and traditions

Tuesday and Saturday visits

Devotees come on these two days, when the temple stays open later and thousands visit.

Tuesday and Saturday are traditionally Hanuman's days.

Free. Expect long queues in the evening. The temple stays open until about midnight on those days (Wikipedia).

Offering besan laddu

Gram-flour laddus are the special offering of this temple.

A common offering to Hanuman; visitors are advised to buy them inside the premises.

Buy at the shops inside. Price is not published; ask first.

Ramayana recital and Hanuman Chalisa

The epic, especially Sundar Kand, is recited before the main shrine morning and evening.

Tradition links the temple to the poet-saint Tulsidas, author of the Ramcharitmanas.

Free. Sit quietly and join in.

For elders and differently-abled visitors

Access: Moderate. Darshan is free and walk-in, with no separate senior queue found in the sources. The visit is mostly flat, but Tuesday and Saturday evenings are very crowded, so elders should go on another day or in the morning.

Waiting time

No reliable queue figures were found. Ordinary mornings are reported to be calm.

Busiest on Tuesday and Saturday evenings and on Hanuman Jayanti; quietest on weekday mornings.

Best time to visit

October to February is pleasant. For the fullest atmosphere, go on a Tuesday or Saturday evening, but expect a crowd. Mornings on other days are calm.

Festivals

Hanuman Jayanti (Chaitra Purnima (March–April))

Very large crowds and a procession from Durgakund.

Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh (April, several evenings)

Classical music and dance festival held at the temple.

Tuesdays and Saturdays (Every week)

The busiest regular days.

How to reach Shri Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple

Road safety

An easy city trip: the temple is in southern Varanasi near Assi and Banaras Hindu University. The main hazards are congested streets, evening crowds on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and summer heat.

Ordinary city streets (Sankat Mochan Road). Autos and e-rickshaws reach the temple; private cars have to find street parking, which is scarce on busy evenings.

Full road-safety guide

Where to stay

Most pilgrims stay in the Assi, Lanka or Cantonment areas, or near the ghats, and travel in by auto.

Suggested plan

An evening at Sankat Mochan

Tips

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entry fee?

No. Darshan is free.

Can I take my phone inside?

No. Phones and cameras are not allowed, and a locker is provided (Wikipedia).

Which days are busiest?

Tuesday and Saturday, especially in the evening, and Hanuman Jayanti.

Is there an official website?

None was found that we could confirm. Verify any website with the temple before paying.

Temples nearby

More Hanuman temples

All Hanuman temples

No official website: No website could be confirmed as the temple's own; the temple is walk-in and managed by its Mahant.

Sources

Last checked: 2026-10. Timings and fees change – confirm with the temple before you travel.