The various ghats on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi have drawn millions of devotees from across the world to this ancient city. Every ghat has a speciality and a purpose to suit the needs of the faithful
Varanasi, also called Benaras by the locals or Kashi Nagri in religious parlance, is globally known for its prosperous and elevating legacy of shrines and the Ganga ghats. It is considered to be the oldest existing conurbation of the world. According to Hindu legend, Varanasi unshackles the spirit from the human body. Hence, the city of Varanasi in general and the ghats in particular are crammed with ardent devotees who congregate on the banks of the Ganga to take a dip in the sacred river.
The ghats are actually a number of long flights of broad stone steps leading down to the river. The ghats of Kashi, altogether 84 in number, are unique as they are made of an array of mounds which are arranged in a transversed order and are indisputably the heartbeat of the city. The ghats mark the seven kilometre arc line of the Ganga riverfront flanked by the convergence of the tributary Assi in the south and Varuna in the north.
It is a joyful experience to walk down the ghats by the side of the river. Taking cognisance of the ghats from a boat on the Ganges is also a cherished event, as it harmonises the perception of mysticism and aestheticism. A typical boat ride at the crack of dawn proffers a gorgeous view of the diverse activities performed in those early hours of the day, which commences with offering prayer to the Ganga, is followed by ritual cleaning, and concludes with calisthenics.
The ghats are also a prominent site for the cremation of Hindus. The two most venerated burning ghats of Kashi are the Manikarnika Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat. The first one, also known as the Mahasmasana or ‘the great cremation ground’, is believed to be the site where a manikarnika (earring) of either lord Shiva or his spouse Sati had fallen. The second ghat is named after the legendary King Harishchandra and is one of the oldest ghats of Varanasi. The ingenuous King from ancient time is believed to have worked as a chandal (a person who supplies wood and tick at the funeral ceremonies of Hindus) at the cremation ground here in order to defend Raj dharma. He has made this particular ghat immortal. It is widely assumed that if a person is cremated at the Harishchandra Ghat, he or she acquires moksha or liberation from the human life-cycle.
Indeed, each and every ghat of Varanasi has some significance or the other. The Ganga aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat, for example, is a prime attraction that draws tourists from across the world. Dasaswamedh Ghat literally means the ghat or river frontage of 10 horses that have been sacrificed. Hence, a large number of devotees come here on the occasions of poornima and amavasya. Another famous destination is the Kedar Ghat where pilgrims and sadhus gather from all across the country.
Then there is the shrine of Kedaresvara, the patron idol of the southern sacrosanct section of the ghat, which is popular among Bengalis and South Indians. The legendary film director Satyajit Ray shot much of his Bengali detective blockbuster, Joi Baba Felunath, on this ghat.
lali Ghat, also idiosyncratically acknowledged as dhobi ghat or the washermen’s ghat, is contiguous to Harishchandra Ghat. It is primarily populated by the washermen community. Next is Ram Ghat that takes on a life of its own during the Ramnavami Mela held on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra to commemorate the birth of lord Ram. Before moving for prayers to the Ram Janaki Temple that is situated at the crest of the ghat, people throng to the Ram Ghat as well.
Music concerts, wrestling contests and spiritual discourses are regular features at Tulsi Ghat. This ghat is associated with a number of imperative actions such as the famous bath at the lolark kund which many Hindu women take in the hope of bearing a male child. People also bathe here to cure themselves of leprosy. During the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (from mid-October to November), Krishna lila is performed here with great enthusiasm as well.
Assi Ghat is the southernmost ghat where pilgrims bathe before worshiping lord Shiva in the form of a mammoth lingam situated under a Peepal tree at the confluence of the Ganga and Assi rivers. This ghat is famous among the locals as the ‘lover’s point’. According to Kashi Khand, this ghat is also referred to as Saimbeda Tirtha — a place where one can achieve punya for the entire tirtha by taking a bath in it.
Nevertheless, it is painful to note that the much talked aboutghats are also a spectacle of grime and neglect. Miserable conditions of the stairs and pungent stench make some of the ghats an unpleasant place. In some of the prominent ghats like Dasaswamedh, Kedar and Assi, foreigners are often exploited by local touts, and boatmen also extract huge amounts of money from them. At times, the elderly who have come from different parts of the country are also cheated by local pandas.
The presence of a large number of English-speaking police personnel in plainclothes can help address some of these problems which otherwise bring a bad name to the city. Also, the paucity of essential facilities such as toilets and changing rooms in most of the ghats is another major problem. An additional issue is that of the washing of clothes in the Ganga. Despite the fact that it is prohibited, the activity is rampant. In the long run, it creates impediments to the beautification process of the ghats and also pollutes the river.
Still, notwithstanding their limitations, the ghats are undoubtedly one of the holiest of places, as they house a number of sacred structures and shrines which attract devotees round the year. In fact, nobody can envision the city of Varanasi without them, because for a huge number of people, the magnificent ghats are the be all and end all of life.