Banaras Ghats – True Essence of India

Ghats in Varanasi or Banaras are riverfront steps leading to the banks of River Ganga. This city has nearly 100 ghats.Most of the ghats are bathing and puja ceremony ghats, while a few are used exclusively as cremation sites, namely Mankarnika Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat.

 

The famous and oldest ghats of all these are the Dashashwamegha, the Manikarnika and the Harishchandra Ghat. Some of the ghats are made there by Hindu rulers such as Ahilya Bai Holkar of Malwa region, Peshwa’s of Gwalior, Man Singh of Amber, Jai Singh of Jaipur etc. Some of the famous personlities of Benaras have named the ghats on their own name. Munshi Ghat is after Hindi poet the Munshi Premchand, Tulsi ghat is after Hindu poet the Tulsidas who has written Ramcharitmanas. Many ghats are associated with the legends in Varanasi like the former Kashi Naresh owns Shivala or Kali ghat.