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Narad
Ghat:The old name of this ghat is
Kuvai Ghat. Dattatreya Swami, a monastery chief, in c. 1788,
constructed this. The four important images in the upper-side
are Naradesvara, Atrisvara, Vasukisvara and Dattatreyesvara.
Raja
Ghat:Formerly known as Amrita Rao Ghat,
this was firstly made by the first Maratha chief, Bajirao Balaji
in c. 1720. Amrita Rao Pesava rebuilt this with stone slabs
during 1780-1807. At the top of lofty stone steps he
established four temples of Amritesvara, Vinayakesvara,
Narayanesvara and Gangesvara, and four auxiliaries shrines, and
also renovated the Prabhasa Tirtha in 1780.
Khori
Ghat:Also known as Ganga Mahala Ghat,
this was made pucca in late nineteenth century by Kavindra
Narayana Singh. At the top a compound of five temples presents
a magnificent view.
Panday
Ghat: In c. 1805 this ghat was built
in honor of a famous wrestler who established a wrestling site (Akhara)
there; his name was Babua Pande. The shrine of Somesvara exists
closely to it. In its vicinity lies the old site of Prophase
Tirtha; but presently it is spatially transposed at Raja Ghat.
Sarvesvara Ghat:Of course, this site
had reference in a very early seventeenth century digest,
however the overall ghat was crested under dither patronage of
Mathura Ppandey in late eighteenth century. The Ganga Kesava
Tirtha and Sarvesvara image are near the Ghat.
Digpatia
Ghat:This was erected in cc. 1830 by
Raja of Digpatia (Bengal). The beautiful building along the
ghat now belongs to Sitarama Omkara Das.
Chausatthi Ghat:This ghat is described
in the KKh (61.176-177) with respect to Yogini Tirtha and
Agatsya Tirtha. The number 64 (Causatha) is attributed to
directional symbolism and also association between mother
goddesses (8) and their assistant-goddesses (8); of course there
are other interpretations too (DF. Thomsen 1980). This ghat had
privilege to provide shelter to a great Sanskrit scholar,
Madhusudana Sarasvati (C.E. 1540-1623). Above the ghat there is
temple of Causatthi Devi, but only 60 images of Yoginis are
there, the rest four are at different places (df. Singh 1987:
515, 517). In c. 1670 King of Udaipur (Rapasthan) renovated
this ghat; and later it became pucccca. On 12th
dark-half of Caitra (March-April) many pilgrims pay visit to the
Yogini temple and take ritual bath at this ghat. Another
important ocasion of attraction is the evening on the day of
Holi- a colorful festival showing start of Caitra-1, when homage
ritual is performed at the ghat.
Rana
Mahala Ghat:In fact, this is an
extended part of the preceding ghat, and also made by King of
Udaipur in c. 1670. At the top there is shrine of Vakratunda
Vinayaka, one among the fifty-six.
Sridhara Narayana Munsi built a finance minister in the State of
Daraghanga, this ghat, in 1912 as an extended part of Daraghanga
Ghat; but after his death in 1924 this portion of ghat is named
in his honor.
Ahilyabai
Ghat:At the place of an old site of
Kevalyagiri Ghat, in c.1778 queen Ahiyabai Holkar of Indor made
this a pucca ghat. For the first time name of a person was
added after the ghat. She was also responsible for re-building
the Visvesvara temple, as exists at present, in 1777.
Sheetla
Ghat:In c. 1740 Pt. Narayana Diksit,
the preceptor of Bajarao Pesava-1, made this ghat pucca. In
fact, this is the southern extension of Dasasvamedha Ghat, where
exists Dasasvamedha Tirtha and images of Dasasvamedhesvara and
Dasaharesvara. After the famous Sitala temple there, this ghat
is called after. On the 8th light half of lunar
months of Caitra, Vaisakha, Jyestha, and Asadha (March-July),
and Asvina (Sept-Oct.), people celebrate the festival of Sitala
Athami ("8th day"). The same festivities also occur
at (Adi) Sitla Ghat (no. 71) in the north. Another important
occasion at this Ghat is the special worship after the newly
marriage; the couples and close family members come here for the
Ganga worship ritual followed by rituals in the Sitala temple.
Dasasvamedha Ghat:This is the busiest
and the ancient most referred ghat. According to the myth
related to Divodasa, Lord Brahma ("the creator" in the Hindu
trinity gods) performed the ten-horses sacrifice (dasa-asvamedha)
at this site. These historical sources infer that at this site
the revivalist Hindu dynasty of the second century, the Bhara
Siva Nagas had performed ten-horses sacrifice (Jayaswal 1933:
57). The KKh (52.1-10; 61.38) records many verses describing
glory of this ghat. The temples of Sulatankesvara, Brahmesvara,
Varahesvara, Abhaya Vinayaka, the Ganga ("goddess"), and Bandi
Devi are closely at the top of the ghat. These shrines are
linked to several important pilgrimage journeys.
The southern part of the ghat was made pucca in 1740 by Bajirao
Pesava-1, and later in c. 1775 by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore.
There are two adjacent ghat bearing the same name (a and b; Fig.
14) gets bifurcated by another ghat, Prayaga Ghat. In fact,
even up to early mid-nineteenth century a drain from benia Talab
to Godaulia (i.e., referred as Godavari from which derived
Godaulia) before meeting into the Ganga was bifurcated into two
streams and gets separated by a small island. Later the drain
had been filled up and converted into Godaulia-Dasasvamedha
road- as existing today. This old route is shown on Prince’s
map of 1822. After passage of time the old island converted
into another ghat, Prayaga Ghat.
On 10th light half of Jyestha (May-June) the worship
of the Ganga is celebragted on grand scale in the Ganga temple
at the top of the ghat. This sacred day commemorates the coming
of the Ganga on the earth (i.e. at Haridvara). The sacred bath
on the occasions of solar and lunar eclipses, and also on the
starting day of bath-ritual period in the months of Pausa and
Magha (Dec._January), are important festive occasions.
Prayaga
Ghat:This ghat (old
Prayaga Tirtha) together with the shrine of Prayagesvara
replicates the existence of Prayaga/Allahabad in Varanasi.
Prayaga, known as "Tirtharaja" (king of Tirthas), lies at the
confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and the invisible Sarasvati
rivers. It is commonly believed that doing rituals and taking
sacred bath here provide exactly the same religious metit as
those at Prayaga (80 km away in the west). The merit of this
area is eulogizd in the KKh (61.36-38). About the present
condition, Eck (1982: 228) remarks that "Today, however, the
name Prayaga Ghat, while it is painted boldly on a temple that
sits between the two branches of Dasasvamedha, is not commonly
used. And even the temple there is utterly defunct, used only
by boatmen who store their gear in its sanctum". The temple and
the ghat-area were reconstructed by queen of Digpatia state
(West Bengal). For the whole month of Magha (Jan.-Feb.)
devotees, mostly ladies, use to take bath at this site.
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