Sacred Steps: The Stories Behind Varanasi's Iconic 84 Ghats.

In India, there are seven sacred cities called "Sapta Puri", which you can visit to attain Moksh (Salvation), according to the holy Scripts of Hindus. Varanasi is one of the holy cities of Sapta Puri. Moksha means that you can skip the circle of life and death and attain Nirvana.

However, in Varanasi, "ghats" refer to the series of steps leading down to the banks of the Ganges River. These structures serve various purposes, primarily for bathing, religious rituals, and cremation.

Meaning and Etymology

The name "Ghat" is obtained from the Sanskrit word "Gha??a," meaning "an embankment" or "landing place." It refers to a series of steps that provide access to a body of water, particularly rivers or ponds.

Types of Ghats:

1. Bathing Ghats: Most of the ghats in Varanasi are used for bathing and performing puja ceremonies. Locals and Pilgrims come here to cleanse themselves in the Ganga, believed to wash away sins and purify the soul.

2. Cremation Ghats: Manikarnika and Harishchandra, these two ghats are specifically designated for cremation. These ghats hold immense religious significance, as cremation along the Ganges is believed to ensure liberation (moksha) for the deceased.

3. Cultural and Social Spaces: Ghats also function as vibrant social hubs where various cultural activities take place like hosting festivals, gatherings, and rituals, making them integral to the community's social fabric.

Historical importance of Ghats:

Most of the ghats were rebuilt or reconstructed during the 18th century under the patronage of various royal families, including the Marathas and local Maharajas. This architectural heritage reflects the prosperity and cultural richness of Varanasi.

Spiritual Importance

Each ghat often has its unique mythology or historical significance, for example, Dashashwamedh Ghat is associated with a legendary sacrifice by Lord Brahma, while Assi Ghat is linked to the worship of Lord Shiva.

Unique Features

Ganga Aarti: The morning and evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat and Assi Ghat is a major attraction, where priests perform rituals with lamps, creating a mesmerizing spectacle that draws thousands of devotees and tourists.

Cremation Practices: At cremation ghats, the rituals surrounding death are performed with great reverence, reflecting the cultural attitudes towards life and death in Hinduism.

Why 84 ghats?

As we know there are 12 zodiacs sign in our world. These 12 zodiacs and 7 layers of the atmosphere, or 7 chakras (sheaths in the human body) also come to 84. Thus the annual cycle of the cosmic journey is completed by taking a sacred bath at the 84 ghats. All the 84 ghats have their history and a unique story.

However, the Ganga riverfront spreads over an arc of 6.4 km (4 miles) along which lie 84 ghats (steps to the riverbank) between the confluence of the Assi in the South and the Varuna in the North.

In archetypal terms each ghat represents one lakh (100 000) of organic species as described in Hindu mythologies; that is how in total all the 8 400 000 species are symbolized along the 84 ghats in Varanasi.

List of Ghats

1. Assi Ghat: Assi Ghat marks the southern end of Varanasi and is famous for its Shiva linga under a pipal tree. In this ghat, Goddess Durga threw her sword here after defeating demons "Shumbha-Nishumbha", creating the Assi River, which merges with the Ganges. According to Kashi Khand, once you get pious credit for all the Tirthas by taking a dip here. However, after the 19th century, Asi Ghat was divided into five Ghats i.e. Assi Ghat, Gangamahal Ghat-I, Rewan Ghat, Tulasi Ghat, and Bhadaini Ghat.

2. Ganga Mahal Ghat: Named after the palace built by a former Maharaja of Banaras towards the northern end of Assi Ghat in the 19th century, Ganga Mahal Ghat offers a scenic view of the river and is a popular spot for visitors.

3. Rewan Ghat: It is an extended part of Assi Ghat and was constructed by Lala Mishir, royal purohit of King Ranjit Singh of Punjab. Cultural and social activity needs to be more significant here.

4. Tulasi Ghat: Earlier it was known as "Lolark ghat." It is named after the great poet Tulsidas (1547 A.D. to 1622 A.D.) who wrote "Ramcharitmanas". This ghat is associated with several important activities such as a bath of Lolarkkunda to get sons and their long life and a bath to eliminate leprosy.

5. Bhadaini Ghat: It has a standing wall constructed of brick and stone. Bathing or religious activities are not performed here. It has a huge pumping set of waterworks which supply water to the whole city.

6. Mata Anandamai Ghat: In 1944 Mata Anandamai purchased this area from the British. She made this ghat well-built to run an ashram. Earlier it was known as ‘Amalia Ghat’.

7. Janki Ghat: In 1870 A.D. Maharani Kunwar of Sursand (Bihar) made this ghat. Earlier it was known as “Nagamber ghat”.

8. Bachraj Ghat: The Jain Ghat or Bachraj Ghat is a Jain Ghat and has three Jain temples located on the banks of the river.

9. Jain Ghat: Before 1931 Jain Ghat was part of Bachraja Ghat. Later Jain community made a strong ghat and named it Jain ghat. On the southern end, Jain communities take baths and perform their regular activities.

10. Nishad Ghat: Earlier it was a part of Prabhu Ghat till the first half of the 12th century. Now a large number of boatmen with their small boats and nets can be seen. Ghat has one Nishad Raj temple which was constructed by boatmen families only a few years back.

11. Prabhu Ghat: This Ghat was made in the earlier part of the 12th century by Nirmal Kumar of Bengal. Most of the boatmen's families are living here. Normally washermen wash clothes here. Ghat has very little social and cultural significance.

12. Panchkota Ghat: On the northern end of Prabhu Ghat, a palatial building and a ghat were constructed by the King of Panchakota (Bengal) in the latter half of the nineteenth century. A series of thin stairs from the ghat lead to the palatial building where two temples are situated.

13. Chet Singh Ghat: Originally this Ghat was known as "Khirki Ghat". It is a historical fortified ghat. The place witnessed a fierce battle between the troops of Warren Hastings and Chet Singh in 1781. A.D. Now it has four parts known as Chet Singh Ghat, Niranjani Ghat, Maha Nirvani Ghat, and Shivala Ghat.

14. Niranjani Ghat: This ghat belongs to Naga Saints who established "Niranjani Akhara" in 1897.

15. Maha Nirvani Ghat: It is situated on the north end of Nirvani Ghat. It is named after the Maha Nirvani sect of Naga Saints. The famous "Akhara" is situated here.

16. Shivala Ghat: At present one witnesses a colossal building constructed by Nepal King "Sanjay Vikram Shah", a Shiva Temple, and one Brahmendra Math established by Kashiraj.

17. Gularia Ghat: This Ghat was named after a huge Gular tree which is not currently present here.

18. Dandi Ghat: This ghat is predominated by the Dandi ascetics carrying sticks in their hand. This ghat is quite clean and worth taking a bath.

19. Hanuman Ghat: It is believed that the great saint "Tulsidas" established a Hanuman temple here during the 18th century which made it famous as Hanuman Ghat. The ancient name of this ghat was Ramesvaram Ghat which was established by Lord Ram himself. At present, it is inside the boundary of Juna Akhara. Many renounced (vairagi) ascetics live in the temples. The neighborhood is dominated by South Indian residents.

20. Prachina Hanumana Ghat: This Ghat is associated with a great bhakti saint Valabha (C.E.1479-1531), who laid the philosophical foundations for a great resurgence of Krishna bhakti (Eck 1882: 223). His birthday is celebrated here on the 11th dark half of Vaisakha.

21. Karnataka Ghat: This ghat was built by the state of Mysore in the early 12th century (C. 1910). There also is a shrine of Ruru Bhairava, one of the 8th Bhairavas protecting the city from eight directions.

22. Harish Chandra Ghat: The renowned King Harish Chandra is honored by this ghat. He served at this cremation ground for the sake of truth and charity, but in the end, the gods blessed him by giving him back his lost throne and his deceased son. One of the two cremation ghats, also known as Adi Manikarnika, is this one. Also established here in 1986–1987 was an electric crematorium. The gods Harischandrsvara, Rohitesvara, Adi Manikarnikesvara, and Vrddha Kedara are seated atop the temples. Narayana Diksit, a Peshwa religious guru, repaired this ghat in 1740.

It was well known that King Hariscandra never turned away a guest or lied. He was a Brahma worshipper. Brahma was informed by Indra that he thought Hariscandra's devotion was not as great as he had made it seem. Therefore, Brahma pretended to be a Brahmin priest and requested the king's entire realm as evidence that it was. From Hariscandra. The king took a job in this ghat's crematorium to pay the priest for carrying out certain rites. He sold his wife to a flower vendor. Following his son's snakebite death, the father's wife took him to the burning ghat where her spouse worked. Because she had no money to pay the cremation fee, she ripped her sari in half to pay the fee. Brahma then restored the son to life and gave the king back his kingdom. He also told Hariscandra that this ghat would be especially sacred and that it would be named after him.

23. Lali Ghat: On the upper side, there are temples of Lambodara Cintamani and Jyestha Vinayaka, Kiratesvara, Jayanta Siva Lingam, and Maha Laksmi. The vicinity is dominated by washermen.

24. Vijayanagaram Ghat: This was made strong in 1890 by the Vijayanagaram State of South India. At the top of it, Svami Karapatri Asrama is present. Close by this building are the shrines of Nilakantha and Nispapesvara.

25. Kedar Ghat: This ghat is the site of Haramapapa Tirtha. At the top exists the temple of Kedaresvara, the patron deity of the southern sacred segment.

26. Chowki Ghat: This ghat is famous for the huge pipal (Ficus religiosa) tree at the top of the steps and probably relics of the early "Buddhist period”. Close to this tree is the shrine of Rukmangesvara, and at some distance lies "Naga Kupa" or “Snake Well”.

27. Ksemesvara/Somesvara Ghat: Its old name was Nala Ghat and was built in the early 18th century. The followers of Kumarasvami made a monastery in 1962 at the steps' upper side. The neighborhood is dominated by Bengali residents.

28. Mansarovar Ghat: At the top of this ghat is a sacred pond, in replicated form representing the famous holy lake of the same name in Tibet.

29. Narada Ghat: The old name of this ghat is Kuvai Ghat. This was constructed by Dattatreya Svami, a monastery chief in 1788. The four important images on the upper side are Narada, Atri, Vasuki, and Dattatreyesvara.

30. Raja Ghat: Formerly known as Amrita Rao Ghat, this was first made by the first Maratha chief Bajirao Balaji in 1720.

31. Khori Ghat: Also known as Ganga Mahal Ghat, this was made strong in the late 19th century by Kavindra Narayana Singh.

32. Pandey Ghat: In 1805, this ghat was built in honor of a famous wrestler, Babua Pande, who established a wrestling site.

33. Sarvesvara Ghat: The Ganga Kesava Tirtha and Servesvara deities are near the ghat.

34. Digpatia Ghat: This was erected in c.1830 Raja of Digpatia (Bengal).

35. Casautti Ghat: This ghat is described in the Kasi Khanda (61.176-177) concerning yogini tirtha and Agatsya tirtha. Another important occasion of attraction is the evening on the day of Holi-a colorful festival showing the start of Caitra-1 when the homage ritual is performed at the ghat.

36. Rana Mahala Ghat: In fact, this is an extended part of the preceding ghat and was also made by the king of Udaipur in c.1670.

37. Darbhanga Ghat: Together with magnificent buildings along the ghat and a grand Siva temple in the Nilakantha area, the king of Darbhanga made them in 1915.

38. Munsi Ghat: The ghat was built by Sridhara Narayana Munsi in 1912 as an extended part of Darabhanga Ghat. He was a finance minister in the State of Darabhanga. After he died in 1924 this portion of ghat was named in his honor.

39. Ahilyabai Ghat: At the place of an old site of Kevelyagiri ghat, in c. 1778. Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore made this a strong ghat. For the first time, the name of a person was added after the ghat. She was also responsible for rebuilding the Visvesvara temple, as exists at present, in 1777.

40. Sitala Ghat: This is the southern extension of Dasasvamedha Ghat, where Dasasvamedha Tirtha and the deities of Dasasvamedhesvara and Dasaharesvara.This ghat is named after the famous Sitala temple. On the eighth light-half of the lunar months of Caitra, Vaisakha Jyestha Asadha, and Asvina people celebrate the festival of Sitala Asthami. The same festivities also occur at (adi) Sitla Ghat in the north. Another important occasion at this ghat is the special worship by the newly married couples and their close family members who come here for the Ganga worship ritual followed by rituals in the Sitala temple.

41. Dasasvamedha Ghat: This is the busiest and the ancient most referred ghat. Lord Brahma performed the ten-horse sacrifice at this place. The southern part of the ghat was made strong in 1740 by Bajirao Peshwa-1, and late in c.1774 by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. This is the main bathing ghat in town, so it can be extremely crowded. The area around this ghat is the main center of activity in the city, especially for pilgrims and tourists. This ghat is full of pilgrims bathing in the holy Ganges. It is said that Lord Brahma performed a ‘Ten Horse Sacrifice’ here for king Divodasa. Das means ‘ten,’ aswa means ‘horse,’ and medha means ‘sacrifice.’ It is said that bathing here gives the same merits as received by doing the ‘ten horse sacrifice’ that was performed here. On certain auspicious days up to 30,000 pilgrims may take a bath here. Also, Ganga-puja or aarti is performed every morning and evening on Dasasvamedha Ghat.

42. Prayag Ghat: This ghat (old Prayaga Tirtha) together with a shrine of Prayagagesvara replicates the existence of Prayaga/ Allahabad in Varanasi. Prayaga, known as “Tirtharaja”, lies at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the invisible Sarasvati rivers. It is commonly believed that doing rituals and taking sacred baths here provide the same religious merit as those at Prayaga.

43. Rajendra Prasad Ghat: In memory and honor of the first president of India, Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963), this ghat was renamed In 1979. It was made strong by the Municipal Corporation of Varanasi. This ghat was the northern extension of Dasasvamedha Ghat.

44. Man Mandir Ghat: The old name of this ghat was Somesvara, but in c.e. 1585 when Raja Savai Mana Singh made his palace the ghat was named after him.

45. Tripura Bhairavi Ghat: This ghat is named after the Tripura Bhairavi Shrine, the consort of Lord Tripuresvara whose deity also exists there. Another important shrine is of Varahi, one of the nine mother-goddesses.

46. Mir Ghat: This ghat represents two old sites of Jarasandhesvara and Vrdhaditya, which were converted by Mir Rustam Ali in 1735.

47. Phuta/ Naya Ghat: This was an old site of Yajnesvara Ghat and was made strong by Svami Mahesvarananda in mid 19th century.

48. Nepali Ghat: Above it, a staircase leads to the Nepalese temple, a very picturesque building, half-hidden by magnificent tamarind and pipal trees. The area is dominated by Nepalese residents.

49. Lalita Ghat: This ghat is named after the famous goddess Lalita in Kasi and also in Prayaga.

50. Bauli/ Umaraogiri/ Amroha Ghat: The old name of this ghat was Raja Rajesvari Ghat.

51. Jalasayi Ghat: The name itself indicates “putting the dead body into water” as part of a ritual before putting the corpse on the funeral pyre. In the mid 19th century the nearby building and the ghat were built.

52. Khirki Ghat: The name of the ghat means “the windows or Khirki” from where attendants can watch the cremation.

53. Manikarnika Ghat: This is popularly called as “Mahasmasana." It is mentioned that Lord Siva chants the Taraka mantra of Lord Rama (“Prayer of the crossing cycle of birth and death”- Holy name of Lord Ram) in the ear of whoever dies in Varanasi. Mani-karnika means “Jewelled Earring.” It is said that this name was given because while dancing, Lord Siva’s earring fell into the well just next to the ghat. In the vicinity are shrines of Manikarnikesvara, Mahesvara, Siddha, and Manikarna Vinayakas. The temple of Manikarnikesvara is approachable from the ghat by taking a steep ascending lane south of the Kunda.

Manikarnika Ghat is considered the holiest of all the ghats. Normally the cremation ground is outside of town, as it is polluted. Here the burning ghat is in the middle of the city because death in Varanasi is considered a great blessing. It is said to be bad luck to mourn or cry for the dead. At any given time there may be half a dozen bodies burning here. The bodies are first placed in the Ganges before being burned.

Manikarnika Kund is said to be so ancient that it was present before King Bhagiratha brought the Ganges to Varanasi. This kund is also called Chakra-Pushkarini Kund or “Discus Lotus-Pond.” The well is said to come from a source separate from the Ganges, an underground river that comes directly from Gaumukh, which is the source of the Ganges. It is said that this well was dug by Lord Vishnu with his chakra and filled with water as his first act of creation. It is said that at one time this kund was a very large lake. There is an image of Lord Vishnu in the northern wall of the kund. Offerings of milk, sandalwood, sweets, and bilva flowers, which are sacred to Siva, are thrown in the well. In October or November, there is a good chance the kund will be covered by dirt, because when the Ganges floods during the rainy season, dirt from the Ganges covers up the kund. The kund is dug out each year in November.

Lord Vishnu’s footprints are located at Chakra-Pushkarini, which is between Manikarnika Kund and the river. For 7,000 years Lord Vishnu is said to have stayed and performed tapas on this spot.

54. Bajirao Ghat: Bajirao Peshwa built this ghat in c. 1735, which is how it is named after him. Presently this is assumed to be a part of the Scindhia ghat.

55. Scindhia Ghat: Formerly it was known as Viresvara Ghat, after the temple of the same name lying at the top. In 1937 Daulatarao Scindhia made the entire ghat strong. The shrines of Vasistha Vamadeva and Atmaviresvara are at the top. The Paravata Tirtha lies close to the Ganga river. On this ghat, is a partially submerged Siva temple. Agni, the god of fire, is said to have been born near this ghat.

56. Sankata Ghat: Its old name was Yameshvara Ghat after the name of the shrine.

57. Ganga Mahal Ghat 2: This is another ghat of the same name. This is an old part of Yamesvara Ghat.

58. Bhonsale Ghat: In c. 1780 Maratha king ‘Bhonsala’ of Nagpur made this ghat.

59. Naya Ghat: In Prinsep’s map of 1822 this was named as Gularia Ghat and perhaps was made only a few years before.

60. Ganesha Ghat: This was formerly known as Agnisvara ghat after the Agni tirthan in the stream.

61. Mehta Ghat: After the construction of V.S. Mehta Hospital in 1962 this is a tirtha with a mixture of three glasses of water along this ghat: Maitravaruna, Marutta, and Iksavaku.

62. Rama Ghat: Two other close by waters along this birth are Kala Ganga and Tamra Varaha. The famous Vedic school of its kind, the Sanga Veda School, is situated close to it. Special celebrations are performed on the occasion of Rama’s birth on the ninth light half of Chitra and Ganesa’s birth on the fourth dark half of Bhadrapada. The temple of Rama and Badri-Narayana is also a notable shrine at the ghat.

63. Jatara Ghat: Jatara Ghat came into being in 1766 and was created during renovations of all ghats by Peshawas of Maharashtra.

64. Raja Gwalior Ghat: Both of these ghats and also Rama Ghat were erected by the patronage of Madhorao Peshwa in c. 1766.

65. Mangala Gauri Ghat: At the top of the ghat in the temple compound there are images of Gabhastisvara, Mangala Gauri, and Mangala Vinayaka.

66. Venimadhava Ghat: This is part of the Pancaganga ghat also known as Bindu Madhava Ghat after the name of the famous 10th century temple.

67. Panchaganga Ghat: Beneath this ghat, the Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Kirana, and Dhutapapa Rivers are said to meet. Among these only the first one is visible and the rest are vanished or assumed in the form of manifestation. It is one of the five main ghats in Varanasi. It is considered especially auspicious to bathe here during the month of Karttika and most importantly on the full moon day of Karttika. The merit and glory of this ghat are described in an 11th-century text and also in the Kasi khanda (59;116-144). This was the chief resort of a great teacher of Vedanta, Ramananda (1299-1411) to whom Kabir (1398-1623), a great reformist and bhakti poet, accepted as a guru. One can find Ramananda’s monastery here.

Tulsi das Goswami (1547-1623) was initially living (c.1580s-1590s) at this ghat where he composed the famous writing, the Bindu-patrika (“The petition to Rama”), describing the glory of Bindu Madhava temple.

At this ghat, is the large Alamgir mosque built 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 near the mosque. It is located just above the Pancha-ganga Ghat. If you are taking a boat by yourself, you can have the boat stop here and walk up to the temple.

There is a beautiful story of How Lord Vishnu is known as Bindu Madhava.

As per the directions of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu traveled from Mandarachal to Kashi with a divine mission of making King Divodas leave Kashi.

After having accomplished his mission, Lord Vishnu enjoyed the serene beauty of Kashi, Pancha Nada Teerth, Padodak Teerth, and other places. At Pancha Nada Teerth, he came across one extremely lean-looking sage who was undergoing austerity (tapas).

Lord Vishnu in his divine form approached the sage whose name was Agni Bindu and stood in front of him. On seeing the Lord personally appearing, he was ecstatic and he prostrated before the Lord. The sage started singing praises of the Lord.

The sage addressed the Lord by various names like Mukunda, Madusudan, Madhav, Narayan, Rama Bhadran, Chatur Bhuj, Janardhan, etc. The sage also mentioned that those who worship Lord Vishnu with Tulsi leaves or garland made of Tulsi Leaves will get lots of blessings.

After having sung all praises about Lord Vishnu, Agni Bindu Rishi stood silently with folded hands. Lord Vishnu asked the sage to seek any divine boon. The sage sought only one thing: that Lord Vishnu should always be available for his worship in the vicinity of this Pancha Nada Teerth.

Lord Vishnu granted it accordingly. He further stated that Kashi is a Punya Kshetra and devotees can achieve several kinds of Siddhi by staying in Kashi. Lord Vishnu further said that he would stay in Kashi as long as Kashi is present and there will be no destruction of Kashi as this holy city is situated atop the Trishul (Trident) of Lord Shiva. Therefore, even Maha Pralay (great deluge) cannot destroy the city.

Agni Bindu Rishi was extremely happy at this and sought one more divine boon from Lord Vishnu. He desired that Lord Vishnu should not just appear here but also appear with a name connected to him.

Lord Vishnu agreed to the request of the sage. He stated that henceforth Lord will be known as Bindu Madhav in Pancha Nada Teerth. By his presence, the Teerth will be extremely sacred and devotees who bathe in this Teerth and honor learned persons, will be blessed with wealth and prosperity.

The Teerth, which is capable of cleansing all sins, will be called a Bindu Teerth. A person may have committed various sins, knowingly or unknowingly, but if during the Kartik Month, he religiously bathes in Pancha Nada Teerth and worships Bindu Madhav, he will attain mukti.

Lord Visweshwar Shiva himself regularly takes a bath in this Teerth during Kartik Month.

Lord Vishnu further stated that Lord was called Aadi Madhav in Sat Yug, Ananda Madhav in Tretha Yug, in Dwapar Yug as Shree Madhav. In Kali Yug, the Lord will be known by the name of Bindu Madhav.

Agni Bindu Rishi was extremely happy for the direct worship of Lord Vishnu and he prostrated before the Lord.

Utsav Murti of Lord Bindu Madhav was found in the holy Ganga at Varanasi by Shri Madhavendra Thirtha Swami while he was having a bath at the ghats. During the period of Shri Madhavendra Thirtha Swamiji, the main deity of Lord Bindu Madhav was transferred to the Moola Mutt of Kashi Mutt for protection from the invaders. However, the Utsav murti was missing for long. Shri Madhavendra Thirtha Swamiji lovingly reinstalled this utsava murti. It is this Utsav murti of Lord Bindu Madhav who partakes in all the Utsavs. Swamiji not only restarted the different Utsavs – but Swamiji is credited with starting the Bramha Rathothsava on Ram Navami. Swamiji also got the Atri Gotra family of priests from Cochin and started the Pariyaya system between the Vatsa Gotra and Atri Gotra families.

Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also bathed at Pancha-Ganga Ghat and visited the old temple of Bindu Madhava. While staying in Varanasi on His way back from Vrindavan, Sri Caitanya became the guest of Tapana Misra and Chandrasekhar. It was here that he met Srila Sanatana Goswami.

Sri Chaitanya also converted Prakasananda Sarasvati and his followers while staying at Varanasi.

68. Durga Ghat: The name derived from its association with the Durga temple.

69. Brahma Ghat: This is named after the temples of Brahma and Brahmesvara.

70. Bundi Parakota Ghat: Formerly it was known as Raja Mandira Ghat. In 1580, the king of Bundi, Raja Surajana Hada made this ghat. In its vicinity at the top exists the shrines of Sesa Madhava and Laksmi Nrsimha.

72. Adi Sitala Ghat: This ghat is named after the old temple of Sitala, known as “Badi” Sitala.

73. Lala Ghat: This ghat was erected by a rich merchant in 1800 after whose name it is now known.

74. Hanumanagardhi Ghat: It represents the famous site of Hanumanagadhi in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama.

75. Gaya/Gai Ghat: At the ghat, there is a huge image of a cow, symbolizing the earth, that is how the ghat is known as Gaya Ghat.

75. Badri Nayarana Ghat: The associated sacred shrines are Nagesavara Tirtha, Nagesvara, Nagesa Vinayaka, and Nara-Narayan Kesava. The last shrine is originally at Badrinatha, that is how the name of the ghat derives: Badri and Narayana. On the occasion of the full moon day of pausa, a special festivity in honor of Vishnu in the form of Nara-Narayana is celebrated.

76. Trilocana Ghat: The name derives from the famous deity of Shiva, Trilochana, whose lingam is known as Trilocanesavara.

77. Gola Ghat: Since the late 12th century, this site was used as a ferry point and was also known for several granaries, from where the name Gola Ghat derived.

78. Nandesavara /Nandu Ghat: This ghat in the early 20th century was built by the local neighborhood residents. There appears an Akhara of the same name.

79. Sakka Ghat: Most parts of the ghat are occupied by washermen.

80. Telianala Ghat: It is known for an ancient sacred spot, Hiranyagarbha Tirtha. However later the area was dominated by the oil-pressing caste settled along a small drain meeting here, that is how the name derived.

81. Naya/Phuta Ghat: In medieval digests a sacred water-front site, Gopratara Tirtha, and the deity of Gopratatesvara are referred to at this ghat. During the 18th century, the ghat area became deserted, but later it was renovated. This way the ghat was formerly known as phuta, and later as Naya.

82. Prahalada Ghat: This is named after Prahalada, a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. On the 14th light half of Vaisakha, a grand festive celebration to honor the appearance of Nrsimha is performed on a massive scale in the temple of Prahaladesvara.

83. Raja Ghat: Up to 1887, this was a famous ferry ghat. There are four water tirthas affiliated to this ghat: Sankhya, Uddalaka, Hayagriva, and Nilagriva.

84. Adi Keshava Ghat: This ghat was also referred to as Vedesvara Ghat. This is assumed to be the oldest and the original site of Lord Vishnu. The Adi Keshava Vishnu temple is located where the Ganges meets the Varuna River, in the north of town. The 5 holy spots represent the bodily parts of the Lord:

"Assi is the head; Dasasvamedha is the chest; Manikarnika is naval; Pancaganga is the thighs; and Adi Kesava is the feet”. This reminds me that Vishnu first placed his holy feet here in Varanasi. His footprints in the Adi Kesava temple symbolize that occasion; other footprints are at Manikarnika Ghat.

The appearance day of Vamana is celebrated on a massive scale in the Adi Kesava temple on the 12th light-half of Bhadrapada.

At the time of sunrise and sunset, one can see the natural beauty of reflecting colorful light in the Ganga. In the morning, the reflection of sunlight on the palatial buildings and in the evening the shadows of those buildings in Ganga make the scene unique which is more an aspect of experience than reading about it.

Conclusion:

The ghats of Varanasi are more than just steps leading to the river; they are a vital part of the city's identity, embodying its spiritual, cultural, and historical essence. They serve as places of worship, social interaction, and reflection, making Varanasi a unique destination for both pilgrims and tourists.