Varanasi · Month comparison

February vs October

February ranks #1 overall vs October at #2. Maha Shivaratri pilgrim crush in late Feb/early Mar — Varanasi's most intense religious event.

Varanasi February — Maha Shivaratri pilgrims with marigold garlands

February

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Maha Shivaratri pilgrim crush in late Feb/early Mar — Varanasi's most intense religious event.

  • ↑Maha Shivaratri all-night Shiva worship around Vishwanath Temple
  • ↑Comfortable 27°C / 12°C, lowest humidity
Varanasi October — Ramlila masked actors during Dussehra at Ramnagar

October

#2 of 12 months

Best match

Post-monsoon clarity, Dussehra and ten-day Ramlila — Varanasi opens its true season here.

  • ↑Ramnagar Ramlila (the world's oldest continuous Ramayana enactment)
  • ↑Dussehra effigies burning across the city late month
FactorFebruaryOctober
Weather score
9
9
Value score
8
7
Crowd score
4
5
Events score
9
8
Atmosphere
10
10
Avg high temp27°C32°C
Monthly rain18mm42mm
Daily sunshine8.6hrs8.5hrs

February trade-offs

  • ↓Pilgrim numbers can quadruple in the festival week
  • ↓Old City lanes get dangerously packed during processions

October trade-offs

  • ↓Season officially restarts, prices rising from October 1st
  • ↓Mosquitoes still active in evening on ghats
See all 12 months for Varanasi →February in detail →October in detail →
Scores compare months within Varanasi. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →