Manikarnika Ghat – one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world

Manikarnika Ghat – one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world

Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation Ghat of Varanasi. Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest and most sacred Ghats in Benaras. According to the Hindu mythology, being burned here provides an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths. Lying at the center of the five tirthas, Manikarnika Ghat symbolizes both creation and destruction. At Manikarnika Ghat, the mortal remains are consigned to flames with the prayers that the souls rest in eternal peace. There is a sacred well at the Manikarnika Ghat, called the Manikarnika Kund. Manikarnika Kund is said to be dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of creation while the hot ashes of the burnt bodies makes one remember the inevitable destruction of everything in the world.

The Manikarnika Ghat is also associated with Manikarnika Devi, a goddess worshipped by millions of pilgrims round the year. There is a small shrine of Lord Vishnu here too, containing the Lord’s sacred footprints. There is a holy Shiva Lingam in the place too.

Varanasi – the holiest city of the Hindus