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Varanasi Ghats

One of the main attractions in Varanasi is its myriad ‘ghats’.

Known as the ‘City of Ghats’, Varanasi has nearly hundred ghats. While most of those are bathing ghats where people flock to take a dip in the sacred river, there are a few which serve as cremation sites and a few are even privately owned.

Many of the ghats are associated with legends or mythological stories and are lined by temples.

 

Popular Varanasi Ghats

Dashwamedh Ghat

Dashwamedh Ghat is one of the most important, oldest and busiest ghats in Varanasi.

‘Dashwamedh’ in Sanskrit means ’10 horses’. Lord Brahma, the creator of Universe as per Hindu Mythology is believed to have performed a grand yagna here and sacrificed ten horses, hence the name ‘Dashwamedh’.

This is where people gather in the evening to attend ‘aarti’.

Thousands of earthen lamps floating in the holy water of Ganges, after aarti, give a divine look to the river and is a spectacular sight.


 


Manikarnika Ghat

Manikarnika ghat is one of the most important and relatively cleaner ghats. Considered as a gateway to liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth, Manikarnika ghat is the main cremation ghat where relatives of the deceased come to perform the last rites of the dead wishing that the dead would rest in eternal peace thereafter.

Manikarnika ghat symbolizes both creation and destruction. While on one hand it is a ‘cremation ghat’, on the other it’s said that the present Manikarnika Kund on this ghat was dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of creation of earth.



Tulsi Ghat

Tulsi ghat is named after the great Hindu poet Tulsidas as its believed that it was here that the great saint and poet had composed his version of Ramayana popularly known as ‘ Ramacharitramans’. It’s also believed that Ram-Leela (The story of Lord Rama’s life) was staged here for the first time.

On the ghat stands an old temple dedicated to Lord Rama where many relics of Tulsi Das like his house, his Samadhi and the idol of Lord Hanuman he worshipped, are preserved here.



Man Mandir Ghat

Man Mandir Ghat is a relatively new ghat built by Maharaja of Jaipur.



Assi Ghat

Located at the confluence of Ganga and Assi River, Assi Ghat is the southernmost ghat in Varanasi. Assi Ghat gains significance from the numerous references made to it in various ancient Hindu scriptures and literature.

Thousands of pilgrims come to take a holy dip here on occasions like Solar and Lunar eclipse, Ganga Dusshera, Ekadashi and Makar Sankranti.

 

 

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