Ghats in Varanasi -The Ultimate destination of Pilgrims
(Part - II)
“Benares is older than
history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old
as all of them put together.” - Mark Twain
Manikarnika Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat has a great
significance not only in Hindu mythology and way of life but also in the
philosophies of life and death. Manikarnika is basically a cremation Ghat. It is the most important and main cremation Ghat of Varanasi. Usually, cremation Ghats are
placed outside the main town, as they are considered inauspicious. It is most
interesting in Varanasi that, this doesn't stand true in the case of Varanasi,
where Manikarnika is situated quite in the middle of town itself. This is precisely
because the entire city of Varanasi is considered a "Maha-Shmashan"
or the Great Cremation Ground.
According to the Hindu
mythology, being burned here provides an instant gateway to liberation from the
cycle of births and rebirths. Lying at the center of the five tirthas,
Manikarnika Ghat symbolizes both creation and destruction.
At Manikarnika Ghat,
the mortal remains are consigned to flames with the prayers that the souls rest
in eternal peace. There is a sacred well at the Manikarnika Ghat, called the
Manikarnika Kund. Manikarnika Kund is said to be dug by Lord Vishnu at the time
of creation while the hot ashes of the burnt bodies’ makes one remember the
inevitable destruction of everything in the world.
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Lord Shiva's Temple at Manikarnika Ghat
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It is believed that Lord Shiva utters tarak mantra on the
ear of the dead so that he immediately attains salvation.
Lalita
Ghat
Lalita
Ghat is one of the main ghats on the Ganges River
in Varanasi. The ghat is named after Hindu Goddess Lalita and was built in
early 19th century by King of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah. Lalita Ghat is famous for the Nepali Temple, dedicated to Pashupateswara Siva, which is a
Nepali-type wooden temple with interesting sculptures.
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| Nepali Mandir |
Also here is a Vishnu
temple dedicated to Ganga Keshava.
Scindia Ghat
Scindia 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. According to tradition, Agni, the Hindu God of Fire was born here.
Pancha-ganga Ghat & Bindu Madhava Temple
Beneath this Ghat, the Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Kirana, and Dhutapapa Rivers
are said to meet. It is one of the five main ghats in Varanasi. It is
considered especially auspicious to bathe here during the month of Kartika
(Oct-Nov), and even more so on the full moon day of Kartika.
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| The Alamgir Mosque at Pancha-ganga Ghat |
The
famous Alamgir Mosque was built at
this ghat by Aurangzeb in the 17th century, after he destroyed the major Bindu Madhava Temple that used to be
here. The present Deity of Bindu Madhava is in a small temple by the mosque. It
is located just above the Pancha-ganga Ghat. There is a boat stop here, one can
go by boat and walk up to the temple.
Other Ghats
Beside the main Ghats there are more Ghats there to be specified... The best
time to visit the ghats is at dawn, when the river is lined with bathers and
worshipers; it is very peaceful.
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| Dandi Ghat |
Dandi Ghat
is the ghat of the Dandi Panths holy men. At Hanuman Ghat there is a temple dedicated to Hanuman. Hanuman Ghat
is where Vallabha Acharya, who
was a Vaishnava saint; spread the glories of Sri Krishna, is said to have
been born in the 16th century.
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| Kedar Ghat |
At Kedar Ghat there is a well half-way up
the ghat called Gauri Kund, which is named after Lord Siva’s wife, which is said
to have healing properties. At this ghat is the Kedareswara Siva-linga Temple.
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| Manasarovar Ghat |
Manasarovar Ghat is named after the
holy lake which is found at the foot of Mt Kailash in Tibet. Man Singh of
Jaipur built it.
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| Chausatti Ghat |
At Chausatti Ghat is
the temple dedicated to the Chaumsathi (64)
Yoginis, which has deities of Durga and Kali.
The distinctive looking
Bhosale Ghat was built by the Maratha ruling family of Nagpur, who belonged to
the Bhosale family. It's a substantial stone building with small artistic
windows at the top.
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| Bhosale Ghat |
At Mir Ghat there is the Vishalakshi (“Wide-eyed Goddess”)
Temple. This temple is a shakti pitha and is said to mark the place where a
part of the body of Sati, the wife of Lord Siva, fell.
At Someswara Ghat there is a temple of
the moon, and every kind of disease is supposed to be healed here.
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| Munshi Ghat |
Munshi Ghat is an interesting ghat to
look at.
Darbhanga
Ghat is one of the most visually appealing, and architecturally impressive
ghats. It features an imposing palace built in the early 1900s by the royal
family of Bihar. Adjoining it is Munshi Ghat, constructed in 1912 by
Sridhara Narayana Munshi, finance minister of the State of Darbhanga.
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| Darbhanga
Ghat |
At Dattatreya Ghat, there are the
footprints of a sadhu of the same name.
Ahalya Bai Ghat is named after the Maratha queen of Indore.
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| Ahalya Bai Ghat |
At Rama and Laksman Ghat there is a Rama and Laksman Temple. The king of Jaipur built it.
Next is
Gai Ghat; has a
cow made of stone on it.
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| Gai Ghat |
Trilochan Ghat, where is located
the Siva temple of Tri (“three”) Lochana (“eye”), who has three eyes. Also in
this temple Varanasi Devi is worshiped, the city-goddess of Varanasi.
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| Raj Ghat |
The
important Raj Ghat (also called Adi Keshava Ghat) is the northern most
ghat. Located here is the Adi Keshava
Vishnu Temple, which is located where the Varuna River flows into the
Ganges. Lord Vishnu is said to have first put his feet here when he came to
Varanasi.
That's all for today. I shall come with more stories of Varanasi and other destinations of India very soon. Till then, good bye! Take care of yourself and your family.
Namaskar.
