Manikarnika Ghat is located in Varanasi, India, and joins Dashashwamedh Ghat and Scindia Ghat. It is one of the holiest cremation grounds among the sacred riverfronts, located on the banks of River Ganga, in city of Varanasi.

Hindus believe that cremating the body here helps the soul achieve moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth). People say that cremating a person at this ghat frees their soul from the cycle of life and death and helps it attain eternal peace. Manikarnika Ghat has been an important site for centuries. It is one of the most visited ghats in Varanasi due to its deep connection with life, death, and rebirth.

Mythological Believes:

According to Hindu mythology, the ghat is associated with the goddess Parvati and the god Shiva. People believe that the manikarnika (the jewel in Parvati’s ear) fell into the Ganges at this spot while she was bathing. Hence, the ghat’s name comes from this mythological event.

Cremation Rituals:

People primarily know the ghat as a cremation ghat, where families bring the bodies of their deceased loved ones for the last rites. People consider the continuous fire that burns here sacred, and it symbolizes the eternal cycle of life and death.

Sacred Fire:

People continuously burn a fire at Manikarnika Ghat, and they say it is one of India’s eternal flames, never to be extinguished. They maintain it for cremations, and it symbolizes the ongoing cycle of life and death.

Ratneshwar Mahadev temple

The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple in Varanasi dedicates itself to Lord Shiva, focusing on blessings of spiritual healing and prosperity.

People apparently preserve the temple well, and it leans significantly towards the back side (north-west). Its garbhagriha generally stays below water for most of the year, except for a few months during the summer. The temple has developed a nine-degree slan.

The site of the temple is very unusual. Unlike all other temples in Varanasi on the banks of the Ganga, they built the temple at a very low level. The water level can reach the shikhara part of the temple. You can easily reach to this temple once you have reached Manikarnika Ghat.