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VARANASI....... The Burning Ghats

Burning ghats of Manikarnika, at Varanasi

 

The oldest cremation ghats where bodies are cremated waterside, allowing ashes to be washed away by rivers. Hindu mythology teaches that this ghat is especially sacred and that persons cremated there receive moksha - the liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.

 

As used in many parts of Northern South Asia, the term ghat refers to a series of steps leading down to a body of water, particularly a holy river.

 

VARANASI - The Religious Capital of India

 

Varanasi also commonly known as Banaras is a city situated on the banks of the River Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is regarded as a holy city by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and probably the oldest in India. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the River Ganges and the river's religious importance.

 

My Varanasi Set

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Uploaded on October 23, 2013
Taken on March 29, 2009