Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation Ghat of Varanasi. Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest and most sacred Ghats in Benaras. According to the Hindu mythology, being burned here provides an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths. Lying at the center of the five tirthas, Manikarnika Ghat symbolizes both creation and destruction. At Manikarnika Ghat, the mortal remains are consigned to flames with the prayers that the souls rest in eternal peace. There is a sacred well at the Manikarnika Ghat, called the Manikarnika Kund. Manikarnika Kund is said to be dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of creation while the hot ashes of the burnt bodies makes one remember the inevitable destruction of everything in the world.
It is said that the Manikarnika Kund, which epitomizes life, has been constructed by Lord Vishnu himself. He is said to be the preserver of life on this earth, while the Manikarnika Ghat, which embodies death, has been constructed by Lord Shiva who symbolizes death. He is said to reside in the ashes of the Manikarnika Ghat. They reside side by side indicating life and death going hand in hand. Manikarnika Kund is said to be older that the River Ganges. At the behest of Lord Shiva, Vishnu touched the Kund with his discus and filled the same with his perspiration that was produced by the labor of creating this Universe. At this, Shiva quivered with delight and his earning feel into the Kund. Therefore, it came to be known as Manikarnika Kund. There is another interesting legend behind the existence of the Manikarnika Ghat, which says that it existed from the time of the epic the Ramayana. It is said that Raja Harishchandra was the pyre man over here. For thousands of years, the light of the Manikarnika Ghat is said to be burning eternally, without dimming down.
Varanasi is the cultural capital of India and the melting pot of Indian civilization. Varanasi or Benaras has a well-developed transport network and is well connected to all the major Indian cities and states by air, road and rail.
Best time to be in Varanasi is October – February end. Temperature dips down to chilly cold and people can be seen fully covered in woolens. Cold winds coming from Himalayas and the water of Ganges makes it a pleasantly cool place to spend days here.
