📞 +91 91992 67480

Ghat visitor guide

Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi: Visitor Guide

Manikarnika Ghat (मणिकर्णिका घाट) is a ghat on the west bank of the Ganga in the old part of Varanasi. UP Tourism calls it one of the two major cremation grounds of Kashi, and it is also regarded as a tirtha, a sacred bathing place. It is a working cremation ground, so please visit quietly and keep a respectful distance. This guide sets out where the ghat is, what it is, its recorded history, the stories of its name, the redevelopment announced in 2023 and how to get there. For other places along the river and in the city, see our Varanasi travel guide.

Manikarnika Ghat at a glance

A short summary. Each point is explained, with its source, further down the page.

  • What it is: a cremation ground (shmashana) and a tirtha, a sacred bathing and pilgrimage place
  • Where: on the west bank of the Ganga, roughly midway between the Assi and Varuna confluences according to Jonathan Parry’s study, with Dashashwamedh Ghat further south and Panchganga Ghat further north
  • Stone ghat recorded from: the 14th century; sources differ on the exact year
  • The kund: Manikarnika Kund, also called Chakra-pushkarini, a sacred tank at the ghat
  • Redevelopment: foundation stone laid on 7 July 2023, according to the Press Information Bureau
  • From Hotel Vinayak Plaza: about 5.1 km by road (Google Maps, 5 October 2026), then a walk through the lanes

Where Manikarnika Ghat is on the riverfront

Varanasi’s ghats run along the west bank of the Ganga, from the Assi confluence in the south to the Varuna confluence in the north. The anthropologist Jonathan Parry, in his study Death in Banaras (1994), places Manikarnika roughly midway between the two, and points out that it sits in the middle of the city rather than at its edge, where cremation grounds are more usually found.

Reference accounts place Dashashwamedh Ghat further south along the river and Panchganga Ghat further north. Published ghat lists do not agree on the immediate neighbours on either side, and we have not yet walked this stretch to check the order on site, so we do not name them here.

What Manikarnika Ghat is: cremation ground and tirtha

The Varanasi district website (varanasi.nic.in) notes that two of the city’s ghats are used only for cremation. UP Tourism, on its Harishchandra Ghat page, calls Harishchandra and Manikarnika the two major cremation grounds of Kashi.

In Parry’s account, Manikarnika is regarded both as a maha-shmashana, a great cremation ground, and as a major tirtha where pilgrims bathe. Accounts of the Panchkoshi parikrama, the pilgrimage circuit around Kashi, say that it traditionally begins and ends at Manikarnika.

Many Hindus associate the ghat with liberation (moksha). According to Parry, orthodox religious specialists hold that moksha comes from dying in Kashi, while others hold that cremation at Manikarnika is itself enough. These are matters of faith, and we describe them as beliefs held by many Hindus, not as facts.

History of Manikarnika Ghat

The dates below come from an official temple-trust page and from published studies, which we read through reference summaries (see Sources). Where sources disagree, we say so rather than choose one.

The first stone ghat

The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust portal says the earliest inscriptions suggest the ghat’s stone construction began in the early 14th century. Sources differ on the year: other accounts give 1302, 1303 or 1372, and a 1974 work by Sukul, as cited in reference summaries, attributes the 1372 work to two royal brothers. The safest summary is that stone steps here are recorded from the 14th century.

Rebuilding in the 18th century

The Temple Trust portal says Bajirao Peshwa supported the reconstruction of the ghat in the 18th century; reference accounts date his patronage to 1730 or about 1735. Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore is traditionally credited with rebuilding the ghat. One heritage dossier dates this to 1791, but other accounts present it only as a belief, so we give no firm year. The Tarakeshwar Mahadev temple at the ghat is also attributed to Ahilyabai Holkar, in the 18th century (1795 in the same dossier).

Later repairs

The same heritage dossier records that Baijabai of Gwalior repaired and partly rebuilt the ghat in 1830. According to Parry, a reconstruction in 1912 under Raja Sir Moti Chand raised the platform above flood level. The dossier also records a repair by the Uttar Pradesh government in 1965.

How Manikarnika got its name: the stories, kept apart

The name is usually explained as ‘jewelled earring’. More than one story explains how an earring came to be here, and the versions do not agree on whose it was. We give them separately and say where each comes from. They are religious traditions and legends, not historical events.

The Kashi Khanda version

According to the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana (chapter 26 in the summaries we used; chapter numbering varies between editions), Vishnu dug a pool here with his discus and filled it with the sweat of his austerities. When Shiva saw it and shook his head in delight, a jewelled earring fell into the pool, and the place took the name Manikarnika. Parry adds that, in this tradition, Vishnu asked that the place should grant liberation.

The version recorded by Havell (1905)

A version recorded by the writer Havell in 1905 says that it was Parvati’s earring that fell into the well, and that Shiva named it Manikarnika Kund. A popular retelling adds that Shiva asks each departing soul whether it has seen the lost earring.

A popular belief we could not source

Some popular accounts link the name to Sati’s earring. We found no reliable source for this version, so we mention it only as a belief some people hold.

Manikarnika Kund (Chakra-pushkarini) and the Charanapaduka

Manikarnika Kund, also called Chakra-pushkarini or Adi Manikarnika Tirtha, is a sacred tank at the ghat. The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust portal describes it as the tank Vishnu dug with his discus, the same tradition the Kashi Khanda tells. The kund itself is a physical place; the story of its digging is a matter of tradition.

Also at the ghat is the Charanapaduka, a marble slab carrying footprints that, according to tradition, are Vishnu’s and mark the place where he performed his austerities. The scholar Diana Eck describes it in Banaras: City of Light (1982).

The cremation fire and the Dom community

Parry, whose material was mostly collected in the city between 1976 and 1983, observed that at Manikarnika “the funeral pyres burn without interruption throughout the day and night”, as quoted in a 1995 review of his book in Times Higher Education.

A tradition says that the sacred fire kept at the cremation ghats has been burning for centuries. This is a belief rather than something that can be checked historically, and we present it that way.

The Dom community, whose work is handed down from father to son, has traditionally carried out cremation work at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats and, by tradition, keeps the sacred fire, as the writer Radhika Iyengar describes in an essay for Psyche. Their role is part of the rites families come here to perform, and we ask readers to approach it with the same respect.

Redevelopment of the ghat

According to the Press Information Bureau, on 7 July 2023 the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the redesign and redevelopment of Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats. The release lists public conveniences, waiting areas, wood storage, waste disposal and eco-friendly cremation pyres among the planned facilities.

We have not found an official cost for this project or an official completion date, so we give neither. Works of this kind can change paths and access around the ghat, so please check the current position locally before you go.

Visiting with respect

Manikarnika is a working cremation ground. Each cremation is a family’s last rites for someone they have lost. Please be quiet and discreet, keep a respectful distance and follow any instruction given at the ghat.

We have not yet published detailed guidance on conduct or photography here, because we want it to come from a dated visit rather than from hearsay. Until then, the simplest rule is to treat the ghat as you would a funeral. This guide does not cover aarti; for aarti at other ghats, see our Ganga Aarti guide, and for seeing the riverfront from the water, our boat ride guide.

Getting to Manikarnika Ghat from south Varanasi

Manikarnika Ghat is about 5.1 km by road from Hotel Vinayak Plaza (Google Maps, 5 October 2026, fastest route at the time of reading). Google Maps showed about 33 minutes for the drive at that time; traffic varies, so allow extra time. For reference, Godowlia Chauraha is about 4.1 km by road from the hotel on the same reading.

This is a ride plus a walk, not a walk from the hotel. Expect the last part of the trip to be on foot. We have not yet measured that walk or confirmed exactly where vehicles stop, so we give no distance or time for it. Our reception can book an auto or cab for guests.

If you are planning a wider day in the city, see tourist places in Varanasi.

Questions about Manikarnika Ghat

What is Manikarnika Ghat?

It is a ghat on the Ganga in Varanasi that is regarded both as a cremation ground and as a tirtha, a sacred place for bathing and pilgrimage. UP Tourism calls Harishchandra and Manikarnika the two major cremation grounds of Kashi.

Where is Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi?

It is on the west bank of the Ganga, in the old part of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Jonathan Parry’s study places it roughly midway between the Assi and Varuna confluences, with Dashashwamedh Ghat further south and Panchganga Ghat further north in reference accounts.

How did Manikarnika Ghat get its name?

The name is usually explained as ‘jewelled earring’. According to the Kashi Khanda, Shiva’s earring fell into the pool Vishnu had dug here; a version recorded by Havell in 1905 says it was Parvati’s earring. These are traditions, and they differ.

How old is Manikarnika Ghat?

The Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust portal says inscriptions suggest stone construction began in the early 14th century. Sources differ on the exact year (1302, 1303 and 1372 are all given), and the ghat was rebuilt and repaired several times after that.

Is it true that the cremation fire at Manikarnika never goes out?

That is a tradition: the sacred fire kept by the Dom community is believed to have been burning for centuries. It cannot be checked historically, but Parry, drawing on material mostly collected between 1976 and 1983, observed that the pyres burned day and night without interruption.

How do I reach Manikarnika Ghat from Hotel Vinayak Plaza?

It is about 5.1 km by road (Google Maps, 5 October 2026), followed by a walk we have not yet measured. Plan on a ride, not a walk, from the hotel. Our reception can book an auto or cab.

Sources and last checked

The facts on this page come from these sources, read on 10 October 2026 unless a date is shown:

Some dates, and the books named above, were read through reference summaries (Wikipedia, the Wikiversity Varanasi Heritage Dossier and online summaries of the Kashi Khanda) rather than in the original works. Distances are from Google Maps, read on 5 October 2026. If you notice something out of date, please contact us.

From Hotel Vinayak Plaza

Hotel Vinayak Plaza is a comfortable hotel with modern amenities in south Varanasi; Sankat Mochan Temple is about 270 m by road from the hotel. It is a ride from the old city, not near it. Reception is staffed 24×7 and can book an auto or cab for your trip to the ghats. The restaurant serves vegetarian food. See the rooms.

Call or WhatsApp +91 91992 67480 (enquiries). Phone calls are answered 24×7. Email: stay@hotelvinayakvaranasi.com. Address: Sankat Mochan Rd, near Sankat Mochan Temple, Saket Nagar Colony, Sankata Mochan Leprosy, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221010. You can also contact the hotel online.

Call +91 91992 67480
WhatsApp your dates