Harishchandra Ghat

Manikarnika is the foremost mahasmasana - the great cremation ground - where the funeral fires are said never to have gone out. The name recalls the legend of Shiva's earring (manikarnika) falling into a sacred well dug by Vishnu beside the river.

Linked in devotion to Kedarnath in the high Himalayas, this southern ghat is crowned by the red-spired Kedareshwar temple and is a particular favourite of Bengali and South Indian pilgrims.

At the quieter southern tip of the riverfront, Assi Ghat is where students, sadhus and travellers gather for Subah-e-Banaras - a daily dawn celebration of Vedic chanting, classical ragas and collective yoga on the steps.