Kashi Beckons : The Enthralling Ghats

Hear the bells from a hundred temples
Capture the colours of Life
Embrace every moment
Walking past the Ghats of Kashi

Sail through the unchallenged waters
Admire the unevenness of this skyline
Discover Yourself like never before
And be free from the contraction of time

The riverfront of holy Ganga in Kashi is an eternal saga of religious beliefs and values, human civilizations and social evolution, immortal spirit of the great poets and saints, and the faith of millions of pilgrims seeking spiritual awakening.
Built after 1700 AD, the grandeur of the Ghats in Kashi has no parallel.
Even today, the footprints of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles and the Peshwas are visible for their immense contribution in building the city, temples and the ghats.
Over centuries, the Ghats have withstood several destructions and it was the Holkars and the Scindias who supervised the rebuilding of the Ghats. Maharani Ahilyabai’s contribution in the 17th century is the most significant in the restoration of the Ghats.
Spread across 7 kms, there are 84 Ghats which bring together millions of Sadhus (monks), pilgrims and foreign tourists to the riverfront of Maa Ganga as it is believed to be the Doorsteps to Heaven.

It is believed that the Five most sacred ghats, also called as Pancha Tirtha which are Assi, Dashashwamedh, Manikarnika, Panchaganga and Adi Keshava represent the body of Lord Vishnu : Assi is the Head, Dashashwamedh is the Chest, Manikarnika is the Navel, Panchaganga is the Thighs and Adi Keshava is the Feet.

Boat rides on holy Ganga is another magnificent experience in Kashi. Come daybreak to way beyond sunset, there are hundreds living that priceless moment.

And of the many rides on the row boat
I have sailed on holy Ganga and traversed the Ghats
From Assi Ghat to Manikarnika till Dashashwamedh and beyond
And discovered the PANCHATATVA that define us
Prithvi (Earth), Jal (Water), Agni (Fire), Vayu (Air) and Akash (Sky)
All of it engulfing the body, mind and soul. 

ASSI GHAT AND SUBAH-E-BANARAS

MAA GANGA  Aarti at Assi Ghat, SUBAH-E-BANARAS

Assi Ghat is the confluence of Ganga and Asi rivers and is located at the southern most point of the Ghats.
It is believed that Goswami Tulsidas composed the epic poem, Ramcharitmanas, the greatest work in praise of Shri Rama in the 16^th century at Assi Ghat.

MUST VISIT

Close to Assi Ghat is the Temple of Lord Jagannath, built in 1802 by two distinguished and well known citizens of Kashi, Shri Beni Ram and Shri Vishambhar Ram. This temple is a replica of the famous Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri (State of Odisha).

DID YOU KNOW ?

In 1870, Dulhin Radha Dulari Kuwari, Princess of the Sursand State of Bihar settled down at Assi.
In 1903, she purchased the southern part of the ghat from the King of Banaras, Prabhu Narayan Singh, to reconstruct the Asi Madhava shrine and build the ghat overlooking holy Ganga.
She built her small palace here and in 1990, the present generation of the family converted it into Hotel Ganges View, situated right at the entrance of Assi Ghat.

SUBAH-E-BANARAS

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Experience the ethereal beauty at Assi Ghat every morning that unfolds with Subah-e-Banaras, one of Kashi’s Divine offerings.

The mystic blend of Vedic Chanting at Brahm muhurta (one and a half hours before sunrise), Aarti of Maa Ganga and the Yagya (an offering in front of a sacred fire) has always left me spellbound.
The invocation of the Panchatatva and prayers for the well being of everyone and the world, is the spiritual core of Subah-e-Banaras.

At daybreak, there is a sublime recital of the morning Raga by a maestro which strikes a beautiful chord reminiscing the rich heritage of Hindustani Classical music which existed here over centuries.
And when a young artist takes the stage on any other day, that ease and finesse in rendition is simply worth admiring.

Young artist performing at Subah-e-Banaras

Folk song based on Morning Raag Shuddh Bilawal

The gathering then settles down to practice Yoga with renowned Yoga guru, Shri Vijay Prakash Mishra who teaches various Asanas that can be followed daily to stay healthy and heal various health related ailments, if any. Scores of men, women and children follow the Asanas with Guruji, and the rhythm leaves behind a vibration of a different kind.   

Subah–e-Banaras began in November, 2014 and is managed by a self driven, positive group of local inhabitants who are unfailingly, seen at Assi Ghat every morning getting the arrangements in place, ensuring perfect coordination and seamless flow of all the elements that make this experience so enchanting.

Dr. Ratnesh Verma, Founder of this beautiful enterprise tells us “Subah e Banaras is an initiative to glorify and propagate the celestial moments of early hours for spiritual development with sacred threads of Indian culture. People from all walks of life come and realise the existence of invisible power which purifies mind and soul. A big responsibility coupled with expectations of people inspired us to make it more meaningful with utmost dedication and determination.”

They call it the Sacred Thread of Eternal Peace and truly so, I have always found an embracing spell of calmness, amidst the rising Sun and the glittering Ghats.

Visit : subahebanaras.net

SANT RAVIDAS GHAT AND ALAKNANDA RIVER CRUISE

Inaugurated in 2009, Sant Ravidas Ghat was built in memory of the 14th century Saint, Guru Ravidas.
Guru Ravidas Janamsthan (birthplace) is close to the Ghat at Seer Goverdhanpur which attracts millions of devotees every year.

Gorgeous ALAKNANDA with her special friends

From the hearth of this newest Ghat, the youngest offspring of Kashi – Alaknanda River Cruise sails on holy Ganga on a flawless, beautiful journey which depicts tales of the Ghats, to rediscover this heritage.
I have been lucky to have taken this cruise with my family on a cloudy, winter morning.
On approaching Sant Ravidas Ghat, we walked down the steps to reach Alaknanda awaiting on the riverfront.
We were welcomed by the officials at the embarkment point and escorted inside. I paused and stood there dazed, admiring the stylish, international look of the Cruise boat.
And certainly, there was a sense of pride for this initiative set up by a Startup company, Nordic Cruiseline in September, 2018, the essence of New India. 
The Cruise boat is a 60 seater with air conditioned lower deck and open upper deck with comfortable seating arrangement. 

Wish I could hold those fleeting moments
With Alaknanda and the fluttering birds
As history sailed past the Ghats
Wish I could take wings and go back in time

Online booking: nordiccruiseline.com

Sail on the Alaknanda River Cruise and read about its Special attractions in the Experience segment.

Alaknanda River Cruise • Reunion at Kashi

DISCOVER THE ETERNAL

Near TULSI GHAT, named after Goswami Tulsidas (1547-1623), there is a small temple, which is attached to a house belonging to the family of Mahant, Late Veer Bhadra Mishra and his family.
The temple has two idols of Lord Hanuman, one made of stone.
Next to it, there is another small idol covered in orange vermillion and oil.
It is believed that Goswami Tulsidas had crafted this idol of Lord Hanuman with cowdung with his own hands over 400 years back.
A flight of stairs next to the temple leads to Tulsidas Baithaki which has the idol of Shri Ram, perhaps, even older than 400 years, which was worshipped by Goswami Tulsidas. 

DARBHANGA GHAT AND BRIJRAMA PALACE

The Majestic BRIJRAMA PALACE

What will leave you spellbound on Darbhanga Ghat is the Brijrama Palace. This is the only heritage palace hotel which overlooks the river and is the epitome of luxury with a majestic experience.
Built in 1812 by Shridhara Narayana Munshi, who was the Minister for Estate of Nagpur, the adjacent Ghat to the Palace was named as Munshi Ghat. The palace was later acquired in 1915 by the King of Darbhanga (Bihar), Rameshwar Singh Bahadur and the Ghat came to known as Darbhanga Ghat.
In 1994, the Darbhanga palace was further acquired by Brij Rama Hospitality Pvt.Ltd. and after 18 long years of restoration work, BRIJRAMA Palace was inaugurated in April,2016.
Brijrama Palace is truly a connoisseur’s delight with a distinct Maratha architectural style structure, royal interiors, handpainted frescoes, beautiful antiques and so much more that adds to the aura of this place.

Visit: Brijrama.com

Live the Brij Experience and read more about this magnificence in the Experience segment.

Brijrama Palace • Luxury Redefined

PANCHGANGA GHAT

Panchganga Ghat is one of the five main Ghats where five sacred rivers converge – Ganga, Saraswati, Yamuna, Dhutapapa (Cleansed of Sin) and  Kirana (Sun’s ray), with an overwhelming history of holiness.
This ghat was earlier known as Bindumadhav Ghat, after the most revered Temple of Bindumadhav (Vishnu) built by Raja Man Singh of Amber (State of Rajasthan) in the 16th Century.
This was later razed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1673 and Alamgir Mosque, also known as Beni Madhav Ka Darera was built here.
It was at Panchganga Ghat that the Great teacher and scholar of Vedas, Swami Ramananda, taught his disciples and was the Spiritual Guru (guide) of Great Saints like Kabir and Raidas.

PANCHGANGA GHAT

The Festival of Dev Deepawali originated in Panchganga Ghat and is celebrated on Kartik Purnima (Full moon of the Hindu month of Kartik) 15 days after Diwali, in Oct/Nov every year.
The steps of all the ghats are lit with more than a million Diyas (earthen lamps) and there are countless Diyas that are set afloat on the river to worship Maa Ganga.
And these million Diyas get outnumbered by visitors from across the world who gather at the Ghats of Kashi to catch a glimpse of this dazzling extravaganza : one of the biggest light shows of the world.

DEV DEEPAWALI ON THE GHATS

DASHASHWAMEDH GHAT

DASHASHWAMEDH GHAT

Dashashwamedh Ghat is the most spectacular ghat and legends say that Lord Brahma had created it to welcome Lord Shiva.
The present ghat was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in the year,1748 and was later rebuilt by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in1774.
The magnificent Maa Ganga Aarti held every evening at Dashashwamedh Ghat is perhaps the most attended spiritual experience in the world.
I have always been there a couple of hours ahead of time to get a good view of the Aarti as every bit of ground gets covered closer to time.
And, there are boats that cover the river front completely so that devotees can see the Aarti from the river that lasts for around 50 minutes. 

Magnificent MAA GANGA Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

The chants, the bell chimes, the synchronised movements of the gorgeously lit Deepams (lamps) and the devotion of the seven Pujaris who perform the Aarti will reverberate in your soul forever.

Magnificent MAA GANGA Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

MANIKARNIKA GHAT

MANIKARNIKA GHAT

Manikarnika Ghat is mentioned in the Gupta inscription of 4th century. Manikarnika Shrine is a Shakti Peeth and as per Hindu mythology, it is believed that Mata Sati Devi’s earrings had fallen here (Aadi Shakti Mata).
While there are many depictions around how this holy ghat was named Manikarnika, the profoundness of this place left me completely inundated.
Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest ghats and the holiest cremation ground called Mahashamshana. It is believed that people cremated here attain Moksha (Liberation from the cycle of life and death).
As many pyres burn together and Death stands as the ultimate reality, it is a moment of self realisation, an awakening of how we are living in the smallness of things.

“Every one of us comes into this world to fight, as on a battlefield.
We come here weeping to fight our way, as well as we can,
And to make a path for ourselves through this infinite ocean of life;
Forward we go, having long ages behind us and an immense expanse beyond.
So on we go, till death comes and takes us off the field-victorious or defeated, we do not know.”

Swami Vivekananda, October, 1896

Swami Vivekananda travelled to Kashi in August 1888, his first spiritual destination.

MAGHI PURNIMA CELEBRATION ON THE GHATS

Walk with me for a while in Kashi and Experience the Divinity of Baba Vishwanath at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and marvel the restored temples that were lost over 100 years .

Kashi Beckons