Manikarnika Ghat (

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

: मणिकर्णिका घाट) is one of the holiest cremation grounds among the sacred riverfronts ( ghats), located on the banks of River Ganges, in the city of

Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...

in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. In Hinduism, death is considered a gateway to another life marked by the result of one's

karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

. It is believed that a human's soul attains

moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...

, and hence breaks the cycle of rebirth when cremated here. The ghat is named after Sati's earrings which fell there. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept there.

Location

The Manikarnika Ghat is located in

, India and is flanked by the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the

Scindia Ghat Scindia Ghat () is one of the ghats in Varanasi and borders Manikarnika, a place of Hindu cremation, to the north. At this ghat, a tilted Shiva temple can be found lying partially submerged in the Ganges River and it is argued that this ghat c ...

Actual origin

The Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi. It is mentioned in a Gupta inscription of 5th century. It is revered in Hinduism. When Mata Sati (Adi Shakti) sacrificed her life and set her body ablaze after Raja Daksh Prajapati (one of the sons of Brahma) tried to humiliate Shiva in a Yagya practiced by Daksh, Shiva took her burning body to the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

. On seeing the unending sorrow of Shiva,

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

sent the Divine chakra to cut the body into 51 parts, which then fell to earth. These are called "Ekyavan Shaktipeeth". Shiva established Shakti Peeth wherever Sati's body had fallen. Mata Sati's ear ornament fell at Manikarnika Ghat

The Manikarnika shrine as a Shakti Peeth

The Manikarnika shrine is an important place of worship for

Shaktism Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the God in Hinduism, deity or metaphysics, metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, mani ...

sect of Hinduism. It is near to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. ''The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation'' is the mythology behind the origin of Shakti Peethas. The etymology of the place is due to this mythology. It is believed that Sati Devi's Ear Rings has fallen here. Manikarna in Sanskrit means Ear Rings.

Shakti Peethas The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (, , ''seats of Shakti''), are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Ad ...

are shrines that are believed to be enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

carried it and wandered. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 letters or akshar in Sanskrit. Each temple have shrines for

Shakti Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...

. The Shakti of Manikarnika is addressed as Vishalakshi & Manikarni.

Manikarnika Kund

The well at the ghat is called Manikarnika Kund and was built by

Proposal

A proposal for renovating the Manikarnika ghat has been proposed by Departments of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign (UIUC), USA, and Bhanubhen Nanavati College of Architecture for Women (BNCA), Pune, India. A proposal for renovating and redevelopment the Manikarnika ghat is in progress by Eastern Infrastructure Fund of Varanasi, India.

Manikarnika Ghat in art

File:Weeks_Edwin_Lord_The_Last_Voyage.jpg, Edwin Lord Weeks (1849 – 1903), The Last Voyage, 1884 File:Edward_Lear_-_Benares_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg,

Edward Lear Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limerick (poetry), limericks, a form he popularised. ...

(1812–1888) Cityscape, 1873 File:Image from page 446 of "The history of the world; a survey of a man's record" (1902) (14767857492).jpg, The history of the world; a survey of a man's record" (1902) Illustration File:Eve Of The Eclipse Of The Moon 25th November 1825 by James Prinsep.jpg, Eve Of The Eclipse Of The Moon 25 November 1825, Litograph by James Prinsep File:Bathing_Ghat_Banaras_India_1890.jpg, Picturesque India. A handbook for European travellers, J. Pedder (1850-1929), 1890

References

{{commonscat Ghats in Varanasi Structures built or renovated by Ahilyabai Holkar Ghats of India