KASI
The Royal place of Lord Siva

MANIKARNIKA GHAT

It is the most heavily crowded ghat and is very auspicious for reasons more than one. It has a small tank in the centre with flights of stairs on all sides. The story goes that in the dim past, Lord Maha Vishnu attracted by its sanctity decided to do penance here. Before commencing it, he dug a pit with his Sundarsan disc for water to using to ablution purpose. During the course of penance lasted for years, his perspiration slowly flowed down into the pit and it started overflowing. Awe-struck Maheswar seeing it shook his head, a little violently, perhaps. His diamond ear-ring then fell into the pit and so is called Manikarnika. Taking fancy for this, he resolved to give the potent Tarakamantra in the ears of those who die here. Moreover, he takes his bath every morning in this tank, making it holier. So the waters remove all sins. As this is consecrated by Lord Maha Vishnu by his penance and Maheswar by his bath, it is deemed to be doubly efficacious. Burning the dead and performing pindpradan confer here special merits.

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