Every evening at dusk, Parmarth Niketan holds the Ganga Aarti ceremony on its ghat: a procession of priests performing fire worship at the river's edge while devotees and visitors watch from the steps and release small clay lamps loaded with marigold flowers into the current. The fire, the chanting, and the lamps floating downstream against the dark mountains create an atmosphere that is hard to explain and easy to remember.
The ceremony is free to attend and open to all — there are no tickets, no reserved viewing areas, and no barrier between Hindu pilgrims and tourists. Arrive early (around 30 minutes before sunset) to get a good position on the ghat steps. Photography is permitted. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. The Parmarth ghat is on the eastern bank of the Ganges, a few metres downstream from Ram Jhula.