2010 Varanasi bombing

On 7 December 2010, an explosion occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi, one of the holiest Hindu cities in India. The blast happened during the sunset aarti, an evening prayer ritual performed on the banks of the Ganges river, at a time when thousands of worshippers and tourists had gathered on the stone steps leading to the ghat. The explosive device was hidden inside a milk container. The attack killed two people, including a two-year-old girl who was sitting on her mother's lap at the time; the mother was among three people critically injured out of a total of 38 injured. In the panic following the blast, a railing broke, causing a stampede that increased the number of injuries. A 50-year-old woman who had traveled to Varanasi to watch the Ganga Aarti later died from her injuries at a local hospital on 11 December 2010.

Among the injured were six foreign tourists, including nationals of Italy, France, Japan, South Korea, and Germany. Some media outlets incorrectly reported the death of an Italian tourist, who was in fact recuperating in a city hospital. The injured were treated at BHU Hospital, Kabir Chaura Hospital, and Heritage Hospital in Varanasi.

The blast occurred one day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya, an event that had previously triggered nationwide religious riots. The Islamist militant group Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility via an email sent to Indian media, dated 6 December, which was later traced by Mumbai Police to WiFi connections in the Vashi suburb of Navi Mumbai. The email stated the attack was carried out in response to a September 2010 court verdict on the Babri Masjid dispute.

Following the attack, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the Union Minister of Home Affairs visited the site and appealed for peace. A national security alert was issued, with intensified police patrols in major Indian cities.

Investigations by Mumbai Police and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad linked the bombing to figures associated with the Indian Mujahideen network, including individuals connected to earlier incidents such as the 2008 Delhi serial blasts and the Batla House encounter. On 8 December 2010, two individuals were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS in connection with the case. Forensic examination of the recovered improvised explosive device found no shrapnel, explosive residue, detonator remains, or circuit components, with injuries instead attributed to falling debris from a damaged wall; this pattern suggested the possible use of a plastic explosive such as PETN, TNT, or C4, though a final forensic report was pending at the time of reporting. This was the second terrorism-related incident to affect Varanasi, following serial blasts in 2006 that killed 28 people, including an explosion at the Sankatmochan Temple.