Holy Ghats of Varanasi
Varanasi, Kashi or Banaras, is older than traditions.
The divine grace of this city lies is unique combination
of physical, metaphysical and supernatural elements.
Ghats of Varanasi are natural supplement to the
concept of divinity. It is a city witch liberate
soul from human body to ultimate. The much quoted
Sanskrit Skloka Proclame ‘ Kasyam maranam
mukti’ (death in Kashi is Liberation). In
fact the extension of this belief could be visualised
in early concept of ‘ Pancha Trirtha’
symbolically identified with the human body it is
explicitly equated with the fire elements (Panch
Tattva) of witch body is composed interesting people
now defining as all the Ghats are points on the
divine cosmic road ( 12th Zodiacs X 7cakras of body
thus 98 ) represents its manifest transcendential
dimension. That is how this frame shows a cosmic
order and harmonic relationship between micro cosmos
(divine order) and micro cosmos (human order)through
the interlink of mesocosmos ( the physical order
of ghats). The Gahadvala inscriptions ( c.12th cent)
mention only five ghats . A mid 17th cent.
The most important is the Deshaswamedh Ghat. Constructed
by Peshwa Balaji Rao, it is one of the most holy
bathing ghats of Ganges. The name signifies ten(dash)
horses(ashrams) by the kings. The southern end
has the Assi Ghat which leads to many Ghats, ending
in the Adikashva Ghat in the north. Nearby is
the Tulsi Ghat where Goswami Tulsidas lived till
his death. The cremation (burning) ghat is the
Harishchandra Ghat where dead bodies are built
day and night. Another cremation ghat is the Mani
Karnika Ghat which is very old. It is a belief
that only lucky people die in Varanasi.
Scenes of Burning Pyres, singing of bhajans,
giving of alms and giving rice to cows is a sight
seen on the ghats.
MEHTA GHAT:Formally this saw
part of the preceding ghat, but after the construction
of V.S.Mehta hospital (1962)this is known to the
name of latter one. The Varanasi Municipal Corporation
made this ghat pucca in 1960s. there are three
water-tirth as along this ghat: Maitravaruna,
Marutta and Iksavaku.
RAMA GHAT:
This ghat has association with the Rama Tirtha
and the shrine of Vira Ramesvara. Two other closeby
water-tirth as are Kala Ganga and Tamra Varaha.
The famous Vedic school of its own kind, the Sanga
Veda School, is situated closeby where on the
occasion of Rama's birth on 9th light-half of
Chitra(March-April) and Ganesa's birth on 4th
dark-half of Bhadrapada(Aug.-sept.) special celebrations
are performed. The temple of Rama and Badi-Narayana
is also a notable shrine at the ghat.
PANCHAGANGA GHAT:
This is one of the five water-front sacred most
sites, and believed To be the meeting point of
five drains,viz. The Ganga, the Yamuna, the Sarsvati
the Kirana and the Dhupapapa, among which only
the first one is visible and rest are vanished,
or assumed in the form of manifestation. The merit
and glory of this ghat are described in an eleventh
century text and also in the KKh (59;116-144).
This was the chief resort of a great teacher of
Vadanta, Ramananda (CF 1299-1411) to whom Kabira
(1398-1623) a great reformist bhakit poet, accepted
as guru. Ramananda's monastery is still there.
Tulsi (1547-1623) was initially living (c.1580s-1590s)
at this ghat where he composed the famous writing,
the Vindu-patrika ("The petition to Rama"),
describing the glory of Vindu Madhava temple (VP
61-63,see allchin 1966;129-132, compare KKh 60,61).
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