Kastaharni Ghat is a ''

ghat Ghat (), a term used in the Indian subcontinent, to refer to the series of steps leading down to a body of water or wharf, such as a bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river or pond, the Ghats in Varanasi, Dhobi Ghat or the Aap ...

'' or bathing place on the River

Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

, at

Munger Munger, formerly spelt as Monghyr, is a twin city and a Municipal Corporation situated in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the administrative headquarters of Munger district and Munger Division. Munger was one of the major cities in Eastern ...

in the Indian state of

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

. It is located on the banks of the Ganges River on the eastern side of Munger city. This place is an important center of religious faith and tourism. Kashtharni_Ghat_Munger

History

In the sixth century CE, a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

sage named Mudgal Muni appeared in the city and established two shrines, one at a rock at Kashtaharini Ghat. In the 26th Adhyaya (chapter) of Adi Kanda of the

Valmiki Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

, it is mentioned that both

Lord Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda'' ...

and his brother

Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...

on their way back from the encounter with Taraka, the demoness, took rest at the spot. The relaxation they had given rise to the name of Kashtaharini Ghat. According to another account it was on his return journey from

Mithila Mithila may refer to: Places * Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state ** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha * Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepa ...

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

after marrying

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

that Lord Rama bathed at this place to relieve himself from fatigue. A copper plate known as the 'Munger Plate' was discovered in Munger in 1780. Mir Kasim conquered Munger and made it his capital till the army of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

captured Munger.

Religious significance

According to

folklore, one who takes a dip in this ghat receives solace and cure from bodily pains. The name "Kastaharni Ghat" literally means "The bathing place which expels all pains". Its significance is enhanced by the northerly flow of the river at this point, which is termed

Uttarvahini Ganga The term ''Uttarvahini Ganga'' is used to refer to places where the Ganges river has a northward flow. For the majority of its route, the Ganges flows in a generally southeasterly direction, from the gangotri glacier to its delta emptying into ...

. The ghat premises is managed by Sri Jagannatha Temple Trust of Munger.

References

{{Reflist * http://munger.nic.in/religious.htm Munger district Tourist attractions in Bihar Ghats of India Ganges Ghats in Bihar