Varanasi: Monuments and Historic Buildings

Varanasi is renowned for the Banaras Ghats (river front). There are 81 Banaras Ghats out of which some are simply for bathing while others are related to a particular deity.

Some of the important Banaras Ghats are Dasaswamedh, Manikarnika, Asi, Tulsi and Panch Ganga.

It is believed that Tulsi Ghat is the place where Tulsi Das, the 16th century poet spent several years to compose the Ram Charit Manas, the translation of the Sanskrit epic Ramayana and hence on this Ghat there is a temple dedicated to Lord Ram.

The Panch Ganga Ghat as the name suggests is a place where five rivers are considered to meet. This Ghat is dominated by a smaller mosque of Aurangzeb called as the Alamgir Mosque.

Dasaswamedh Ghat is a very famous pilgrimage and one of the most important and busy Ghats that is located at a conveniently central place where it is believed that Lord Brahma sacrified ten horses at this Ghat.

The Manikarnika Ghat is actually a cremation Ghat that has a great importance not only in Hindu mythology and way of life but also in the philosophies of life and death.

Usually, the cremation Ghats are regarded as inauspicious and are generally located outside the main town but the Manikarnika Ghat is located in the midst of the town of Varanasi.

The reason is that Varanasi is regarded as a “maha shmashan” or a Great Cremation Ground.