Varanasi festival guide
Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, Varanasi: Festival Guide
The Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh is a festival of Indian classical music and dance held each year at Sankat Mochan Temple, in the Sankat Mochan-Lanka area of Varanasi, around Hanuman Jayanti. This guide sets out what newspapers and UP Tourism have reported about it: its history, the dates of recent editions, and what the nights are like. The dates for 2027 have not been announced yet; we will update this page when the temple announces them.
The festival at a glance
From the sources listed at the end of this page, read on 11 October 2026.
- What it is: an annual festival of classical music and dance at Sankat Mochan Temple, Varanasi
- Since: 1923, according to UP Tourism and a 2025 PTI report
- When: around Hanuman Jayanti, as part of the temple’s Hanuman Jayanti celebrations
- Length: six days in 2024 (Amar Ujala, 27 April 2024) and six nights in 2025 (Deccan Herald with PTI, 12 April 2025) and 2026 (ETV Bharat, 7 April 2026)
- Hours: from 7:30 PM through the night, as reported for 2026 (Amar Ujala, 30 March 2026; ETV Bharat, 7 April 2026)
- Last edition: 6 to 11 April 2026, as reported by Amar Ujala (31 March 2026) and ETV Bharat (7 April 2026)
- 2027: dates not yet announced
- Entry: reported in 2018 (The Hindu; Firstpost) as open to all, with free access; we have not found a more recent report on entry
What the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh is
The Samaroh (संकट मोचन संगीत समारोह in Hindi) is a festival of Indian classical music and dance held at Sankat Mochan Temple, a temple of Lord Hanuman in the Sankat Mochan-Lanka area of Varanasi. UP Tourism describes it as the annual Sankat Mochan Music Festival, held as part of the Hanuman Jayanti celebration.
Reports from recent years list vocal and instrumental music alongside classical dance. In 2026, for example, the programme Amar Ujala published on 31 March 2026 included Odissi and Kathak dance, a dance-drama, and recitals on the flute, sarod, sitar, santoor, mandolin, tabla and drums, as well as vocal music.
The Hindu wrote in 2018 that the concerts held through the night are called hazri, meaning attendance at the Lord’s court. In an Amar Ujala report of 30 March 2026, the temple’s mahant described the festival as more than a music stage: a symbol of social unity and inclusion.
For the temple itself, see our page on staying near Sankat Mochan Temple.
History of the festival
Started in 1923
According to UP Tourism, the festival has been held at the temple since 1923. A PTI report from April 2025 gives the same year, and says the festival grew from a modest one-night affair into a six-night event held around Hanuman Jayanti. We did not find any source that gives a different founding year.
From one day to six nights
Amar Ujala reported on 27 April 2024 that the festival began at the threshold of the shrine, that its stage has moved four times since 1923, and that it was a one-day event until 1970. These details come from that one newspaper report.
A note on edition numbers
PTI (via The Week, 17 April 2025) and Deccan Herald with PTI (12 April 2025) called the 2025 festival the 102nd edition. Amar Ujala (30 and 31 March 2026) and ETV Bharat (7 April 2026) called the 2026 festival the 103rd. Counted simply from 1923 as the first, 2025 would be the 103rd, so these numbers do not match the founding year, and no report we read explains why. We repeat the numbers as reported and do not try to resolve the difference.
Who organises it
The festival is held on the temple premises. In 2025 and 2026, the dates and programme were announced by the temple’s mahant, as reported by Deccan Herald with PTI (12 April 2025) and Amar Ujala (31 March 2026). We did not find an official temple website, so news reports are the main published source for each year’s dates.
When it is held: Hanuman Jayanti and recent dates
UP Tourism places the festival within the temple’s Hanuman Jayanti celebration. For 2025 and 2026, newspapers reported the same pattern: Hanuman Jayanti at the temple first, then a few days of Ramayan recitation and discourses, then the six nights of music.
The festival has not fallen on the same dates each year. The recent editions, as reported:
- 2026: 6 to 11 April 2026, after a Ramayan sammelan at the temple from 2 to 5 April for Hanuman Jayanti (Amar Ujala, 30 and 31 March 2026; ETV Bharat, 7 April 2026)
- 2025: 16 to 21 April 2025, after Hanuman Jayanti on 12 April and Ramayan discourses from 13 to 15 April (Deccan Herald with PTI, 12 April 2025; PTI via The Week, 17 April 2025)
- 2024: began on Saturday 27 April 2024 and was to run for six days, with an art exhibition alongside it until 2 May (Amar Ujala, 27 April 2024)
- 2027: not yet announced. We will update this page when the temple announces the dates.
What to expect on a festival night
Music through the night
For 2026, Amar Ujala reported that the programme would run every day from 7:30 PM until sunrise in the temple courtyard, and ETV Bharat quoted the mahant as saying the performances start at 7:30 PM and go on all night. Several artists perform each night, so the line-up you hear depends on the hour you are there.
Artists in the 2026 programme
The programme Amar Ujala published in advance on 31 March 2026 listed, among others:
- Malini Awasthi (vocal), on the first night, 6 April
- Sivamani (drums) and Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (mohan veena), on 7 April
- Ulhas Kashalkar and Kaushiki Chakraborty (vocal), on 8 April
- Anup Jalota (vocal), on 9 April
- Ronu Majumdar (flute) and Tejendra Narayan Majumdar (sarod), on 10 April
- Ratikant Mohapatra and Sujata Mohapatra (Odissi), and Sajan Mishra (vocal), on the last night, 11 April
Artists in 2025
The 2025 festival was announced to open on 16 April (Deccan Herald with PTI, 12 April 2025). PTI reported on 17 April 2025 that it opened with a flute recital by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, with the temple’s mahant on the pakhawaj. The same report listed Anup Jalota, Pandit Sajan Mishra, Suresh Talwalkar and Salil Bhatt among the artists.
Seating and entry
The Hindu reported on 12 April 2018 that the performances are open to all, with the audience seated in baithak style, and Firstpost wrote on 16 April 2018 that the event had open and free access. We have not found a more recent report on entry, so please ask locally or ask us before you plan around it.
Watching online
Amar Ujala reported on 26 April 2024 that the festival continued online during the Covid years and that the temple kept the online broadcast after the festival returned to the temple. The report does not name the platform, so we cannot point you to a link.
Practical notes for visitors
The points below are either from the reports we cite or are general advice, which we have marked as such.
- Large crowds (reported): the temple’s mahant told Amar Ujala (26 April 2024) that more than one lakh people come each day during the festival. This is his estimate as reported, not a count.
- Late nights (reported): the 2026 programme was reported to run from 7:30 PM until sunrise (Amar Ujala, 30 March 2026), so the later artists perform in the small hours.
- Programme changes (general advice): line-ups are published in advance and may change, so check the latest news report for the night you plan to attend.
- Getting back (general advice): if you are not staying close by, plan your return trip before you go, since you may be leaving after midnight.
- Temple etiquette (general advice): this is a working temple, so follow the instructions of temple staff and volunteers.
Staying for the festival: Hotel Vinayak Plaza
Our hotel is on Sankat Mochan Road, about 270 m from Sankat Mochan Temple on foot (Google Maps reading, 5 October 2026). That makes it possible to walk back after a late recital instead of looking for transport at night. If your trip is planned around the festival, we suggest booking as early as you can; you can book online or by calling us.
Reception is staffed 24×7, so there is someone at the desk if you return in the small hours. Our kitchen serves vegetarian food only, and vegetarian food is available 24×7, made to order. See the rooms and our booking and policies page.
Call or WhatsApp +91 91992 67480 (enquiries). Phone calls are answered 24×7. Address: Sankat Mochan Rd, near Sankat Mochan Temple, Saket Nagar Colony, Sankata Mochan Leprosy, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221010.
Questions about the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh
When is the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in 2027?
The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. The festival is held around Hanuman Jayanti; in 2026 it was held from 6 to 11 April (Amar Ujala, 31 March 2026; ETV Bharat, 7 April 2026) and in 2025 from 16 to 21 April (Deccan Herald with PTI, 12 April 2025). We will update this page when the temple announces the 2027 dates.
How many nights does the festival last?
The 2024 edition was reported as six days long (Amar Ujala, 27 April 2024), and the 2025 and 2026 editions as six nights (Deccan Herald with PTI, 12 April 2025; ETV Bharat, 7 April 2026). PTI reported on 17 April 2025 that the festival began as a one-night event.
When did the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh start?
In 1923, according to UP Tourism and a 2025 PTI report. We did not find a source that gives a different year.
Is entry free?
Reports from April 2018 in The Hindu and Firstpost described the performances as open to all, with free access. We have not found a more recent report on entry, so please check locally or ask us before you go.
What time do the performances start?
For 2026, Amar Ujala (30 March 2026) reported that the programme would run from 7:30 PM until sunrise, and ETV Bharat (7 April 2026) quoted the mahant as saying it starts at 7:30 PM and goes on all night. Timings for 2027 have not been announced.
How far is Hotel Vinayak Plaza from the festival?
The hotel is about 270 m from Sankat Mochan Temple on foot, according to a Google Maps reading on 5 October 2026. Reception is staffed 24×7.
Plan the rest of your visit
For temples and sights across the city, see our places to visit in Varanasi, the Kashi Darshan page and the Varanasi guide.
Sources and last checked
The facts on this page come from these sources, all read on 11 October 2026. We did not find an official website for the temple.
Festival details change from year to year. If you notice something out of date, please contact us.
- UP Tourism: Sankat Mochan Temple (official; page last updated 8 April 2022)
- Amar Ujala, Varanasi: report on the 2026 programme, 31 March 2026
- Amar Ujala, Varanasi: report on the 2026 festival, 30 March 2026
- ETV Bharat (Hindi): report on the opening of the 2026 festival, 7 April 2026
- PTI, via The Week: report on the opening of the 2025 festival, 17 April 2025
- Deccan Herald, with PTI: report on Hanuman Jayanti in Varanasi, 12 April 2025
- Amar Ujala, Varanasi: report on the opening of the 2024 festival, 27 April 2024
- Amar Ujala, Varanasi: report on the festival’s online audience, 26 April 2024
- The Hindu: ‘Echoes from the temple courtyard’, 12 April 2018
- Firstpost: report on the 2018 festival, 16 April 2018