Manikarnika Ghat

Location

The Manikarnika Ghat is located in Varanasi, India and is flanked by the Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Scindia Ghat

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. On seeing the unending sorrow of Shiva, Vishnu 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

Main article: Daksha Yaga, Shakti Peethas

The Manikarnika shrine is an important place of worship for Shaktism 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 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 carried it and wandered. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 letters or akshar in Sanskrit. Each temple have shrines for Shakti. The Shakti of Manikarnika is addressed as Vishalakshi & Manikarni.

Manikarnika Kund

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

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 (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

References

1. Varanasi Guru. (15 September 2020). "Manikarnika Ghat".
2. (2019-06-18). "In queue even after death, wait for 'moksha' gets longer at Kashi ghats".
3. "Manikarnika Ghat Varanasi".
4. "The Varanasi Heritage Dossier/Manikarnika Ghat - Wikiversity".
5. "Kottiyoor Devaswam Temple Administration Portal". Kottiyoor Devaswam.
6. "Manikarnika Ghat".
7. "Ghats of Varanasi on the Ganga in India The Cultural Landscape Reclaimed, Department of Landscape Architecture University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA, 2014".
8. PLANNER INDIA. (29 May 2017). "REDEVELOPMENT OF MANIKARNIKA GHAT: PROPOSAL WALKTHROUGH - BY PLANNER INDIA PVT LTD, VARANASI".