Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ
Deities

Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ

Manikarṇikā — Varanasi's cremation ghat

Status · Anusandhāna
Source · Tier 2
Tradition · Hindu
Period · First attested pre-500 BCE in Shaiva texts; documented by Xuanzang (7th c.), Al-Biruni (11th c.), Ibn Battuta (14th c.); continuous operation to 21st c.

Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ

Tradition

Hindu / Shaiva

Location

  • Varanasi (Manikarnika), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (25.3109°N, 83.0098°E)

Sacred Narrative

Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ — the principal burning ghat of Kāshi. Open-air cremation has continued uninterrupted for ~3,500 years. The sacred fire is said to have burned continuously since Shiva lit it. Dying here (jīva-samādhi, not just death) is considered to grant mokṣa. Dom community manages cremations (an inherited role). The adjacent Chakra-puṣkariṇī is the sacred tank.

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✦Wisdom Graph: Divine Associations✦

MantraTradition-specific
Offerings
tradition-specific
Sacred colours
tradition-specific

📖 Stories

  • Narrative of Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ
    Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ — the principal burning ghat of Kāshi. Open-air cremation has continued uninterrupted for ~3,500 years. The sacred fire is said to have burned continuously since Shiva lit it. Dying here (jīva-samādhi, not just death) is considered to grant mokṣa. Dom community manages cremations (an inherited role). The adjacent Chakra-puṣkariṇī is the sacred tank.
    — Tradition

🪔 Worship Procedures

Daily rites
• tradition-specific

🛕 Principal Temples

🎊 Festivals

  • Annual Manikarṇikā Ghāṭ festival
    Seasonally · 1–10 days

📜 Primary Scriptural Sources

  • Hindu primary textsscriptural/oral