Ghats in Varanasi

Ahilya Ghat by the Ganges, Varanasi.

Varanasi has nearly 100 ghats, steps leading to the banks of River Ganges. Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control. Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwes (Peshwas) stand out as patrons of present-day Varanasi. Most of the ghats are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. Many ghats are associated with legends or mythologies while many ghats are privately owned. The former Kashi Naresh owns Shivala or Kali ghat. Morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular visitors attraction.

List of ghats

Chet Singh Ghat in Varanasi.

Kedar Ghat in Varanasi.

Jain Ghat in Varanasi

On The River Benares, 1883

The ghats as named and counted by the city of Varanasi are as follows:^[1]

Popular ghats

Dashashwamedh Ghat

Ganges Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi

Dashashwamedh Ghat is located close to Vishwanath Temple, and is probably the most spectacular ghat. Two Hindu mythologies are associated with it: According to one, Lord Brahma created it to welcome Lord Shiva. According to another, Lord Brahma sacrificed ten horses in a yajna here. A group of priests daily perform in the evening at this ghat "Agni Pooja" (Worship to Fire) wherein a dedication is made to Lord Shiva, River Ganges, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the whole universe.

Manikarnika Ghat

Two legends are associated with Manikarnika Ghat.^{[citation needed]} According to one, it is believed to be the place where Lord Vishnu dug a pit with his Chakra and filled it with his perspiration while performing various penances. While Lord Shiva was watching Lord Vishnu at that time, the latter's earring ("manikarnika") fell into the pit. According to the second legend, in order to keep Lord Shiva from moving around with his devotees, his consort Goddess Parvati hid her earrings, and asked him to find them, saying that they had been lost on the banks of the Ganges. Goddess Parvati's idea behind the fib was that Lord Shiva would then stay around, searching forever for the lost earrings. In this legend, whenever a body gets cremated at the Manikarnika Ghat, Lord Shiva asks the soul whether it has seen the earrings.

According to ancient texts, the owner of Manikarnika Ghat bought King Harishchandra as a slave and made him work on the Manikarnika at Harishchandra Ghat. Hindu cremations customarily take place here, though a majority of dead bodies are taken for cremation to the Manikarnik Ghat. According to other sources that Manikarnik Ghat is named after Jhansi ki Rani Laxmibhai.

Scindia Ghat

Early morning meditation on a Ghat on the Ganges, Varanasi

Varanasi Ghat at dusk

Scindia Ghat also known as Shinde Ghat borders Manikarnika to the north, with its Shiva temple lying partially submerged in the river as a result of excessive weight of the ghat’s construction about 150 years ago. Above the ghat, several of Kashi’s most influential shrines are located within the tight maze of alleys of Siddha Kshetra (Field of Fulfillment). According to tradition, Agni, the Hindu God of Fire was born here. Hindu devotees propitiate at this place Vireshwara, the Lord of all heroes, for a son.

Maan-Mandir Ghat

Mana-Mandir Ghat: Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur built this Ghat in 1770, as well as the Jantar Mantar equipped with ornate window casings along with those at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, and Mathura. There is a fine stone balcony in the northern part of the ghat. Devotees pay homage here to the lingam of Someswar, the Lord of the Moon.

Lalita Ghat

Lalita Ghat: The late King of Nepal built this Ghat in the northern region of Varanasi. It is the site of the Ganges Keshav Temple, a wooden temple built in typical Kathmandu style,The temple has an image of Pashupateshwar, a manifestation of Lord Shiva. Local festivals including musical parties and games regularly take place at the beautiful Assi Ghat which is at the end of the continuous line of ghats. It is a favorite site of painters and photographers. It is here at the Assi Ghat that Swami Pranabananda, the founder of Bharat Sevasharam Sangh,attained 'Siddhi' (fulfilment/success) in his 'Tapasya' (endeavor) for Lord Shiva, under the auspices of Guru Gambhirananda of Gorakhpur.

Other

Man Singh of Amber built Maan-Sarowar Ghat. Maharaja of Darbhanga built Darbhanga Ghat. Tulsidas wrote Rāmacaritamānasa at Tulsi Ghat. Devout Jains visit Bachraj Ghat in particular because it has three Jain temples near the river's banks.

The headquarters of the Sri Kashi Math Samsthan, a spiritual school followed by the Konkani speaking Goud Saraswat Brahmins, is located in Brahma Ghat.

Human remains in the Ganges

Dead body (not cremated) in Manikarnika Ghat.

After cremation, the bones and ashes of the deceased are thrown into the Ganges. Even those who are not cremated near the Ganges have their ashes placed there. In the past, thousands of uncremated bodies were thrown into the Ganges during cholera epidemics, spreading the disease in the process.

Today, only the bones and ashes are supposed to be scattered into the river. However, those who cannot afford the large amount of wood needed to incinerate the entire body leave behind a lot of half-burned body parts. To get rid of the body parts, special snapping turtles are bred which are released into the river. These turtles are taught to consume dead human flesh but not bother swimmers and bathers. They consume approximately one pound of flesh a day and can reach a size of seventy pounds.^{[citation needed]}

In the early-1990s, the government built an electric crematorium at Hrishchandra Ghat, in part to reduce the amount of half-burned bodies floating down the river. Even after the system was introduced most people still preferred the traditional method of cremation.^[2]

It is known that holy men, pregnant women, people with leprosy/chicken pox, people who had been bitten by snakes, people who had committed suicide, the poor, and children under five are not cremated at the ghats but are floated free to decompose in the waters.^[3]

See also

⇒ Varanasi
⇒ Cultural heritage
⇒ Heritage tourism
⇒ Kautilya Society

⇒ In Wikiversity The Varanasi Heritage Dossier

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ghats in Varanasi.

• Ghats of Varanasi, webpage at Varanasi official website.