The Ganges is the most sacred river in the world for Hindus, and you will see traditional rituals and bathing occurring at all times of the day. On the Eastern banks, the Ganges is flanked by a 300-m-wide sand belt, beyond which lies a green belt, a protected area reserved for turtle breeding. The western crescent-shaped bank of the River Ganga is flanked by a continuous stretch of 84 ghats, or series of steps leading down to the river, stretching for 6.8 km. These ghats were built by Hindu kings who wanted to die along the Ganges, and they built lofty palaces along the river, most of which are now hotels, to spend their final days. You can walk along the river and see all of the ghats, but the best option for viewing the ghats is to charter a boat and see them from the river.
Hindus consider it auspicious to die in Varanasi, so some ghats are known as burning ghats, where over 200 corpses per day are cremated in full view before their ashes are eased into the Ganges.
Some of the most popular ghats, from north to south:
- Hanuman Ghat. It used to be known as Ramesvaram Ghat and is at a holy spot known as Juna Akhara in Varanasi. People believe that the Ghat was constructed by Lord Rama and hence it is dedicated to his favourite disciple, Lord Hanuman.
