Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India, and the Dashashwamedh ghat is synonymous with Varanasi. As per Legends, Kashi, Banaras, or Varanasi is the oldest city on Earth. It is believed Lord Shiva himself founded this holy city and hence protects Kashi. It is believed that when the primordial floods happened, Lord Shiva had raised Kashi on his Trishul (trident) thereby protecting the region.
Banaras is dotted with over 84 ghats, each with a unique historical significance. Among the most noteworthy and popular ones is the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. This ghat is the most visited due to the Ganga Aarti that occurs daily post dusk. Further, this ghat is situated close to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, making it a popular spot for devotees to take a dip before visiting the revered jyotirlinga.
Dashashwamedh ghat derives its name from the unification of Dash – ten, Ashwa – Horse, and Medha – Sacrifice. This name is symbolic of the sacrifice of 10 horses done by Lord Brahma on this ghat. More on this story below.
The History of Dashashwamedh Ghat
The Dashashwamedh Ghat holds immense significance in Hinduism due to its numerous mentions in ancient scriptures. This is why this ghat is the most revered ghat in Varanasi, and devotees from across the world flock to this ghat to take a dip in the Ganga river. It is believed that taking a dip in the holy Ganga can cleanse us of our sins and free us from the bondage of rebirth. This only adds to the importance of the Dashashwamedh Ghat.
The ghat as we see it today, specifically the stairs, was built by the Indian government in 1965. Peshwa Balaji Bajirao laid the foundations of this ghat in about 1740. However, it was Queen Ahilyabai Holkar who rebuilt it in about 1765.
How to Reach
This ghat is well connected to the airport, bus and railway stations via road. If you are traveling from Varanasi Railway Junction, you can reach the Dashashwamedh ghat by taking a shared rickshaw that will cost you 20 rupees in total. This is the cheapest way to reach the ghat.
If you are coming from the airport, you need to take a taxi or a bus, it is about 27 km and you will reach in under an hour. Taking the state-run bus will ofcourse work out cheaper than the taxis. The other option is to take a boat ride from any of the other ghats in Varanasi.
Well, I took a taxi from the airport (Ola and Uber serve here) and it cost me about 400 rupees to reach Gowdolia. Godowlia is almost a chowk, with barricades on the lane leading to the Dashashwamedh ghat. Hence no vehicles are allowed beyond this point.
From Godowlia the ghat is just a 5 to 7 mins walk. The lane is dotted with sellers selling wares from beads to sarees to sweets. There are cycle rickshaws that take you from Godowlia to Dashashwamedh ghat, but they are expensive. Will suggest walking as the cheapest and best option to reach the ghat.
The Legend
The story of the Dashashwamedh ghat is a fascinating one. It is believed that Kashi (that was the name of Varanasi in scriptures) was the abode of Lord Shiva when he was not living in the Himalayas. Once when he was away, the Gods worried that Kashi would lose its importance, and called upon Lord Brahma to help.
After a long and arduous quest, he found Ripunjay, a priest with royal blood, and crowned him as the King of Kashi rechristening his name as Divodasa. However, King Divodasa placed a condition, he wanted Lord Brahma to ensure no Gods or Goddesses came to Kashi to interfere in his rule. Lord Brahma agreed with the condition that Divodaas would rule with utmost benevolence and bring prosperity to the land.
Years passed by and King Divodas lived up to his promise and Kashi flourished under him. However, Lord Shiva started longing to return to Kashi. So he decided to tempt Divodas and make him falter so that Lord Shiva could return to Kashi. He first sent messengers, then 64 yoginis, and Lord Surya to Kashi to find ways to tempt Divodas and make him commit some mistakes, but all of them enamored by the city chose to settle down here.
Then Lord Shiva asked Lord Brahma to intervene. So Lord Brahma disguised himself as an ascetic and asked Divodas to help perform the ashwa medha yagya by sacrificing 10 horses. The King managed to complete this task also effectively and Lord Brahma had to return defeated. It was after this event that the ghat came to be known as the Dashashwamedh ghat.
Things to do in Dashashwamedh Ghat
There are many things that you can do in this holy ghat. The first is to experience the famous Ganga Aarti in the evenings. This is also an ideal ghat to take a dip in Ma Ganga. Once you descend the stairs, you will find railings that you can grasp while taking the dip.
Boating is another activity that is popular here. The locals here manually row the boat and take you around to visit the ghats up to Assi ghat. A cheaper option is to walk across the ghats along the stairs.
One Pro tip – since a lot of people bathe in this ghat, the waters near the stairs can be muddy. You can take one of the boats and ask them to take you to the opposite shore where the waters are clearer and you can take a dip in peace without being pushed around.
Places to visit near Dashashwamedh Ghat
Dashashwamedh Ghat is a popular tourist attraction in itself, but it is also strategically close to several other popular spots in Varanasi. It is right next to Manikarnika ghat another popular ghat in Kashi.
The Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is situated next to this ghat. Hence devotees take a dip in this ghat before entering the temple.
Lord Brahma temple is 2 minutes walk from this ghat. Man Mandir Observatory and Kashi Raj Kali temple are also close by.
Kashi Chaat Bhandaar is also close by, in Gowdolia Chowk.
Hope you liked this post. Please do check out my other posts on Varanasi.
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If you are planning visit to Sikkim, check out Tsomgo Lake.
If you are looking for some spirituality, you can check out Ganga Aarti in Dashashwamedh Ghat or Ghats in Varanasi. Check out my posts from South India Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple, Bandipur Safari, and Mandalpatti Peak.
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