The city of light · Ganga aarti and the home of thumri

Live singer in Varanasi

Varanasi, on the Ganga, is among the oldest living cities in the world, with its ghats, its evening aarti, its silk and its classical music.

Ask about dates in Varanasi Call now

Uttar Pradesh

Music for the venues of Varanasi

Varanasi has an airport with flights from Delhi and Mumbai; the band normally arrives a day early to plan around the evening traffic.

  • Bhajan and Sufi evenings by the ghats
  • Dev Deepawali, when the river is lit with lamps
  • Weddings at riverside and heritage hotels
  • Banarasi classical music gatherings

Your live singer in Varanasi

Varanasi’s steps descend to the Ganga along more than eighty ghats, and the daily rhythm of bathing, prayer, cremation and the evening aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat is part of what visitors come to see. The Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and the Banaras Hindu University, the Sarnath Buddhist site and the silk weavers of the old city fill out the picture.

The city is also a musical capital. Banaras gharana singers, the thumri and dadra styles and sitar and shehnai players such as Bismillah Khan came from these lanes. The Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in April brings India’s best classical artists to the Hanuman temple. A visitor with a Hindi, bhajan and Sufi repertoire is stepping into a listening tradition.

The ghats can host small private events with permission, and boats on the river carry musicians during a sunset cruise. Hotels along the Ganga host weddings and receptions, but the lanes are narrow and equipment is carried by hand, so the plan is made carefully in advance.

The year in Varanasi

The cooler months from October to March are best. Dev Deepawali in November is the most spectacular night, Mahashivratri fills the temples, and the Sankat Mochan festival lights up April. Weddings concentrate in the winter. The summer heat is severe and the monsoon floods the lower steps.

What Varanasi hosts expect

The city is deeply religious. Hotels near the river are mostly vegetarian, and dress is modest. A singer who begins an evening with a devotional song and keeps the programme thoughtful finds a rapt audience.

A Banaras evening in songs

The city’s sound is soulful and unhurried. A set can start with Kabir’s verses in Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya, move to Hindi film songs with a Benares flavour such as Khaike Paan Banaras Wala, and conclude with Har Har Mahadev or Namami Shamishan for the aarti hour. At a Dev Deepawali boat evening, quiet melodies carry across the water best.

Venues and planning in Varanasi

Varanasi’s celebrations use the hotels along the ghats, with terraces over the river, the larger hotels in Cantonment and near the airport road, and banquet halls and lawns in Sigra and Lanka. Small private music evenings can be held on boats or at ghats with the right permissions.

The old city’s lanes are narrow, so equipment is carried by hand and the setup is kept compact. Evening aarti crowds slow the riverside in the hours before dark, and Dev Deepawali fills every terrace. The band arrives the day before, plans the route to the venue with the hotel and keeps programmes in harmony with the city’s devotional character.

Choose your occasion

Live music in Varanasi for every event

Also performing nearby

More in Uttar Pradesh

See and hear it

Dharmik live, in pictures and songs

Photos and reels are from Dharmik’s own shows. The songs below are the ones people ask for most at live music in Varanasi.

Tap a tile to watch or enlarge. The full gallery

Place
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Travel
Outstation: travel and stay planned with the quote
Formats
Solo, Duo, 3-Piece, 4-Piece, Full Band

Often asked for

  • Kabira
  • Channa Mereya
  • Kesariya
  • Agar Tum Saath Ho
  • Tera Ban Jaunga
  • Apna Bana Le
  • Raabta
  • Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

A sample; the repertoire is on the media page.

Why Dharmik

Why hosts choose Dharmik in Varanasi

  • 01

    700+ live shows

    Weddings, sangeets, parties, hotels, festivals and corporate evenings over more than 5 years, so the music is paced for the room.

  • 02

    A wide Hindi repertoire

    Bollywood from every decade, Sufi, ghazal, bhajan and garba, with songs added on request; see the playlist.

  • 03

    Solo to full band

    From one voice and a guitar to a stage band, so the format follows the venue and the guest list.

  • 04

    Offices in five cities

    The main office is in Virar West, with offices in Rajkot, Dwarka, Porbandar and Ahmedabad.

  • 05

    Worldwide and remote

    Travels to other countries for festivals and events, and performs remotely for weddings and celebrations anywhere.

  • 06

    Clear plans on WhatsApp

    Dates, formats, fees and logistics are agreed in writing, and you can reach us by call or message.

Formats

Which setup suits your event?

1 musician

Solo

Just Dharmik and the room.

Good for House parties, Cocktail hours and Restaurants & lounges.

Ask about Solo

2 musicians

Duo

A melody instrument for extra warmth.

Good for Sundowners, Mehendi & intimate sangeets and Hotel lounges.

Ask about Duo

3 musicians

3-Piece

Rhythm joins the melody.

Good for Sufi & ghazal evenings, Bhajan nights and Corporate dinners.

Ask about 3-Piece

4 musicians

4-Piece

A real band feel, no big stage needed.

Good for Sangeet nights, Brand events and Hotel & resort evenings.

Ask about 4-Piece

6 musicians

Full Band

Stage-filling sound for big celebrations.

Good for Destination weddings, Large sangeets and Festivals & tourism events.

Ask about Full Band

How it works

Booking in four steps

  1. 1

    Message or call

    Send the occasion, the date, the city, the venue and the number of guests on WhatsApp, or call. There are no forms to fill in.

  2. 2

    Agree the date and format

    Availability, the format that suits the room, from a solo singer to a full band, and the fee are agreed together. An advance holds the date.

  3. 3

    Plan the set and the day

    Songs, timings, sound and power are settled in writing. For events away from the main office in Virar West, travel and stay are agreed here too.

  4. 4

    Perform

    The musicians arrive early, check the sound and perform. For remote events a short test session runs before the live stream.

Check availability Call +91 77780 41808

Worldwide and remote

Not in India? The music travels.

Dharmik travels to other countries for festivals and events, and performs remotely for weddings and celebrations anywhere in the world, live, over a video call or a stream.

Live singer worldwide Virtual performances

Countries with their own page

Visit us

Our offices

  • Maharashtra

    Virar West

    702, M-11, M-Avenue, Rustomjee Evershine Global City
    Virar West, Maharashtra 401303
    Directions

  • Gujarat

    Rajkot

    Shop No. 324, Chandreshnagar Main Road, Mayani Chowk
    Rajkot, Gujarat 360004
    Directions

  • Gujarat

    Dwarka

    T.V. Station Area, Patel Samaj Road, Dev Bhumi Dwarka
    Dwarka, Gujarat 361335
    Directions

  • Gujarat

    Porbandar

    Meera Shopping Center, First Floor, Kedareshvar Road
    Porbandar, Gujarat 360575
    Directions

  • Gujarat

    Ahmedabad

    Swaminarayan Park-1, Opp. Swaminarayan Park-2, New Vasna, Vishala
    Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380007
    Directions

All offices, maps and contact

Local FAQs

Live singer in Varanasi: your questions

With permission from the local authorities and the ghat’s custodians; the venue or planner usually applies.

A festival on Kartik Purnima when the ghats are lit with hundreds of thousands of lamps.

Bhajans, Sufi songs, ghazals and classical-tinged film songs.

Ask about dates in Varanasi

Your next event, live in Varanasi

Message on WhatsApp Call +91 77780 41808

No forms, no waiting on email — your message arrives pre-filled with the event details.