- Mangala aarti at opening, after the deity is bathed and dressedapprox 5:00 AM
- Bhog offering before the midday closureLate morning
- Sandhya (evening) shringar aarti, the most attendedapprox 7:00 PM
- Shayan aarti before the sanctum closes for the nightapprox 9:30 PM
The daily aarti cycle follows the deity's day. It opens with the mangala aarti around 5:00 AM, after the abhishek and shringar, when Kaal Bhairav is first revealed for the morning. A bhog offering precedes the midday closure, and the sanctum reopens in the late afternoon.
The evening sandhya and shringar aarti, commonly around 7:00 PM, is the one most pilgrims plan for, with lamps, bells and the deity in full adornment, followed by a shayan aarti near closing around 9:30 PM. These times are the customary pattern and are approx; they move on festival days and by season, and on Kaal Bhairav Ashtami the aartis run grander and later. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early for a place, since the lanes fill quickly once the evening aarti begins.
← Back to the full Kaal Bhairav darshan guideCompiled from public sources including Wikipedia: Kaal Bhairav Mandir, Varanasi · Wikipedia: Bhairava · Wikipedia: List of Hindu temples in Varanasi. Timings and seasonal closures change; confirm with the temple trust before travelling.