Digpatia Ghat

Vital Information for Visitors

Address:

Digpatia Ghat, Bangali Tola, Varanasi, UP

Open & Close:

Open on all days – 24X7

Entry Fees:

No entry fee

Duration:

30 minutes

Significance:

Pilgrimage, Architure, Kashi Ashram & Chaunsath Yogini Temple

The sight of the ghats of Varanasi is definitely magical and mystic. Visiting Varanasi is considered to be a blessing for a devout devotee. It is the city that can be best described as a perfect amalgam of divinity and humanity. If ghats in Varanasi are said to be pedestal connecting physical world with spiritual one, then, the temples in Varanasi are definitely media to link the earthly with the divine. Many famous ‘ashramas’ in Varanasi are located nearby the ghats. These divine ghats have been witness to the evolution of the humans since ages. Also, a popular Sanskrit proverb says that ‘Kashiyam Maranam Mukti’. It means that death of any living being in Kashi ensures liberation of soul from the cycle of birth & rebirth. There is a strong belief that taking bath in River Ganga on the ghats of Varanasi city washes away all the sins.

Many ghats in Banaras were initially built by several kings of different parts of India. Digpatia Ghat is also one of those ghats built by a king. The Digpatia Ghat is the lower portion of Chausatthi Ghat. It was built by King Digpati of Bengal in 1830 AD. King Digpati had built temples, a palace and also a residence. The Yogini temple of the ghat is one of the important temples. Special ‘puja’ is done in the months of March and April in Yogini temple. Festival of Holi is celebrated on a grand scale in temples on Digpatia Ghat.

An important landmark near Digpatia Ghat is Kashi Ashram, a spiritual centre. Having seen the ashram, one cannot stop commenting on its exquisite architecture. The Kashi Ashram was built by King Digpati himself. The architectural style of the palace on the ghat is that of Bengali style. Both sides of the palace are embellished with two porches. Sitaram Omkara Das Kashi Ashram is the new name given to Digpatia Ghat presently. Digpatia Ghat has the privilege of being home to Madhusudan Sarasvati who was a great Sanskrit scholar. There is a place called as Rana Mahal near Chausatthi Ghat where original & ancient Chaunsath Yogini Temple was built. After destruction of the original temple, the idol of Chausatthi Devi was shifted to its present site. This ghat was later converted into a ‘pucca’ ghat by King Pratapaditya in 16th century. But, it was again somehow destroyed. It was in 1670 AD that the king of Udaipur renovated this ghat to some extent and tried to bring back to its original condition. Finally, it was renovated in 1807 AD. From 1965 AD onwards, the government of Uttar Pradesh started to renovate and take better care of the ghats.

The daily religious activities are carried out by local people. There are no entry charges to visit the ghat for anyone. The best time to visit Digpatia Ghat is during the month of March / April when the festival of Holi is celebrated in India. This is time when main ‘puja’ is held in the temple of the ghat. On Varanasi tour, especially on the occasion of Rangbhari Ekadashi, don’t miss to visit Digpatia Ghat.