Sep 4, 2012

Manikarnika Ghat on River Ganges - Benares (Varanasi) 1922



Hindu mythology teaches that the ghat is especially sacred and that persons cremated there receive moksha. As the myth goes, Vishnu, after several thousand years of tapasya, trying to please Shiva, to convince him to not destroy the holy city of Kashi when he destroys the world, managed to do so. Lord Shiva along with Parvati came to Kashi before Vishnu to grant him his wish. Vishnu dug a kund(well) on the bank of Ganaga for the bath of the couple. When Lord Shiva was bathing a Mani(Jewel) from his earing fell into the kund, hence the name Manikarnika(Mani:Beads Karnam:Ear Angad: Ornament). There is another myth about the ghat : the ear jewel from lord Shiva fell down while he was dancing angrily, which fell on the earth and thus Manikarnika Ghat formed.
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Source: ebay.com and Wikipedia