Varanasi, city of Lord Shiva, is world’s oldest living city, situated on the banks of holy river Ganga. The city holds a very special
place in the hearts of the Hindus, no matter where they reside. Lord Shiva himself is believed to have founded Varanasi around 5000
years ago, though several modern scholars believe the city as 3000 years old. It is the city where Buddha founded Buddhism in 528
BCE and hence the city is important for the Buddhists too. Called also as Banaras and Kashi, Varanasi is known for lot more
things to do.
Being associated with Lord Shiva & Goddess Ganga (river Ganga is considered as mother goddess & worshipped accordingly),
Kashi emerges as seven holy cities in India and known as a pilgrimage for the Hindus. Millions of devotees from round the
globe visit Varanasi to take a dip in the holy river Ganga to wash away their sins and get free from ‘karmas’. Kashi can
also be called as the city of temples because of being home to a lot of old and new temples. The Hindus believe that one
who dies in Banaras gets salvation, goes to heaven and gets free from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The ashes
of those who died and cremated elsewhere are bought to Varanasi to immerse it in the holy river after performing the
rites and rituals on the ghats of Ganga.
There are 88 ‘ghats’ on the western bank of Ganga. Ghats of Varanasi are step-stones leading to the Ganges and work as permanent
pedestals for religiously auspicious rituals. Lots of religious activities of different kinds are performed on the ghats on a
regular basis. The ghats of Varanasi are prominent landmark attracting devotees, pilgrims, hippies, travellers, photographers
and art enthusiasts from around the globe. The ghats are sone-built stair steps that lead to river Ganga. These ghats or stone-steps
are also called as the river fronts. Used for performing different kinds of pujas, aartis and religious ceremonies, the sight
of these ghats always include priests performing religious activities, devotees being there all the time, travellers and
photographers observing exotic views, boats in river Ganga, and some old-cum-historical buildings on top of the ghats.
The ghats of Varanasi are always busy. There is no dull moment on these ghats. The most prominent time to visit any of
these ghats is during dawn hours to view magnificent sunrise from the ghats and observe the priests performing puja
& rituals. Other preferred time to visit ghats is during evening hours to witness world-renowned Ganga Aarti at the
time of sunset. The best way to see ghats and various activities over there is while riding a boat in Ganga, alongside the ghats.
Every ghat, having its own history, serves special purposes and offers unique sight to see. Though every ghat its own exotic aspects,
but, out of these 88 ghats, few ghats have special significance in terms of historical, religious and mythological heritage.
Visiting these famous ghats like Dashashwamedh Ghat, Assi Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, Narad Ghat, Chet Singh Ghat etc - makes a
decent way to explore the entire Kashi. Dashashwamedh Ghat is the oldest in Varanasi where evening
Ganga Aarti takes place. It
is believed to be created by Lord Brahma to welcome Lord Shiva. Lord Brahma has done a special sacred ritual in front of the
sacred fire. It is one of the very happening ghats of Varanasi and a must-visit tourist attraction of Varanasi to view the
daily hustle bustle of the ghats. Assi Ghat, another famous ghat of Varanasi, is the place where River Assi meets Ganga.
Pilgrims come to Assi Ghat to have a holy dip and worship a huge lingam under a ‘peepal’ tree. Subah-e-Banaras ceremony,
organized daily in the morning, is a real treat to eyes. Evening ‘aarti’ at Assi Ghat is not-to-be-missed sight. One can
see diyas, lights, garlands, flowers and the priests performing sacred rituals throughout the aarti time. Also, the chanting
of hymns & prayers are heard throughout the aarti process. It is a splendid time to be at Assi Ghat. Manikarnika Ghat is a
cremation ghat. Human corpses are cremated here with a belief that the soul will be liberated from the cycle of life and
death. Narad Ghat is a kind of forbidden ghat where couples aren’t supposed to take a bath together as it would lead to
their separation. But, a tour or walk can be taken to Narad Ghat to explore the surroundings. Chet Singh Ghat should be
visited for its strong historical importance. It was the site where battle between the armies of Varanasi king Chet Singh
& the British took place. A small fortress cum palace on top of Chet Singh Ghat, built by the then king, is a major
tourist attraction to explore and click some heritage pictures. Talking about the pictures, one of the most suitable
ghats for photography in Varanasi is Darbhanga Ghat. It is home to very appealing
architecture. It also has a palace
hotel to stay at and click some gorgeous pictures as well. It was the royal family of Bihar who built Darbhanga Ghat
in early 1900s. Another peaceful and a picturesque ghat is Scindia Ghat, just near to Manikarnika Ghat. At the edge
of the water at this ghat, there is a submerged Shiva temple, a major attraction for the devotees. There are a lot
of temples in the area for the pilgrims to explore as well. Man Mandir Ghat, a very old ghat, is a living example
of ancient Rajput architecture. The Raja of Jaipur, Maharaja Man Singh built his palace over here in 1600.
The palace is still there and can be explored. The view of Ganga from its terrace is gorgeous to have a look at.
Other ghats of Varanasi also have unique importance of their own but these were some of the major ghats of the city to explore.
Also, while on the tour to these ghats, one can enjoy boat ride, Ganga Aarti, spiritual bath in Ganga, heritage walk at the ghats
and sunrise or sunset views from different ghats.
Varanasi Ghat Tour, a guided & exploratory sightseeing excursion, is conducted in the morning and in the evening. An
interested traveller may opt for either morning ghat tour or an evening one. In both options, a boat ride is conducted
to observe the happenings on the ghats from a distance and to have mesmerising view of sunrise or sunset. In both
cases, a heritage walk through the ghats will also be conducted. But, there happens to be a diiference as well.
The morning ghat tour will comprise attending Subah-e-Banaras on Assi Ghat of Varanasi whereas evening ghats tour
ensures one to attend Ganga Aarti ceremony on Dashashwamedh Ghat of Kashi.