Manikarnika Ghat
मणिकर्णिका घाट
Varanasi's main open-air cremation ground, where fires have burned day and night for millennia. It is the most direct and striking place to understand the Hindu view of life and death.
Manikarnika Ghat is Varanasi's oldest and most sacred cremation ghat. Hindus believe that cremation here grants the soul immediate liberation (moksha). Bodies are brought from across India. Family members carry them on bamboo stretchers through the alleys of the old city, bathe them in the Ganges, and place them on pyres. The work is performed by the Dom caste, whose families have done it for generations. The flames are said to have burned for thousands of years without going out. The ghat is piled high with firewood, and nearby are hospices where people wait for death.
Visitors can watch quietly from the upper platform or from a boat on the river, but must follow strict rules. Never photograph the cremations or the bodies. Doing so will get you stopped immediately and may lead to conflict. Dress modestly and stay quiet.
Beware of common scams. People who claim to be 'hospital staff' or 'volunteers' often approach visitors, lead them upstairs to watch the cremations, and then ask for thousands of rupees as a 'donation for firewood for the poor'. This is the most common scam in the area. Simply refuse.
The best approach is to watch from the river by boat early in the morning, then walk about 15 minutes from Dashashwamedh Ghat along the riverbank.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Nepali Temple at Lalita Ghat
- Scindia Ghat
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- Man Mandir Ghat & Jantar Mantar
- Dashashwamedh Ghat
- Panchganga Ghat & Alamgir Mosque
- Kaal Bhairav Temple
- Darbhanga Ghat