Photo: Vinayaraj · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What are the darshan timings of Sankat Mochan Hanuman?
Sankat Mochan Hanuman in Kashi (Varanasi) is open for darshan 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM. The temple is located at sankat Mochan Marg, Varanasi.
Timings can change on festivals, eclipses and special occasions. Please confirm with the temple before you travel.
What is Sankat Mochan Hanuman known for?
Founded by Goswami Tulsidas, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is said to be the very site where Tulsidas had darshan of Lord Hanuman. The temple is renowned for its serene atmosphere and Tuesday-Saturday special worship.
Why is Sankat Mochan Hanuman significant?
The Sankat Mochan temple was founded by Goswami Tulsidas, author of the Ramcharitmanas, and tradition holds that it stands on the spot where he had darshan of Hanuman. The name means the remover of difficulties, and the temple is among the most visited in Varanasi after Kashi Vishwanath. It sits in a wooded compound on the Assi side of the city, away from the density of the old lanes, and the atmosphere is unhurried.
Which rituals and festivals are held at Sankat Mochan Hanuman?
Offerings are of sindoor and oil, boondi laddu, and the reciting of the Hanuman Chalisa — which Tulsidas himself composed. Tuesdays and Saturdays are the days of Hanuman and the temple is at its busiest then. Aarti is held morning and evening.
Hanuman Jayanti, in Chaitra (March or April), is the principal festival, and the temple holds a procession through the city. The Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, a classical music festival held in the temple compound each April, has run for decades and draws musicians from across India.
How do you reach Sankat Mochan Hanuman?
The temple is on Sankat Mochan Marg near Assi, about seven kilometres from Varanasi Junction and roughly four from Banaras Hindu University. The airport at Babatpur is about 30 kilometres away. Autos and e-rickshaws reach the gate directly, which is not true of the old-city temples.
Mobile phones and bags are restricted inside; lockers are available. The temple is usually combined with Durga Kund and the BHU Vishwanath temple, both close by.