Kedar Ghat, home to the Gauri Kedareshwar temple, is one of the five sacred ghats in Varanasi. Dashashwamedh, Panchganga, Manikarnika, and Adi Keshav are the other four major ghats.
Just as Kashi is believed to be the mandala of India’s devotion, Kedara is believed to be the mandala of Kashi- Kedar Khand.
As Kashi is divided into three major Devotion circles – Kedar Khand, Kashi Khand, and Omkareshwar Khand. Each Khand has its own primal deity- Kedareshwar, Vishweshwar and Omkareshwar respectively.
The Kedar Ghat houses the Gauri Kedareshwar Temple & Gauri Kund.
Kedar ghat is believed to be Adi Manikarnika and Gauri Kund as Adi Manikarnika – the proximity to the Harishchndra Ghat (second major cremation ghat of Varanasi, somehow authenticates this)
History of Kedar Ghat
The ghat is a major attraction among South Indian devotees as it is associated with Kumaraswamy Mutt. You may notice many South Indians taking a dip in the holy Ganges near this ghat. It is neighboured by Vijiyanagaram Ghat, built together in the 18th Century by King Vijayanagar. It was rebuilt in the mid-20th century by the Uttar Pradesh Government. The Maharaja of Vijayanagar is said to have developed it and in 1958, the state government made it a pucca ghat.
The Kedara is assumed to be older than the Kashi Vishwanath because of its mention in the early Puranas and it is widely believed that the temple survived the devastation in the late 17th century by Aurangzeb, inferring that the present Kedareshwar temple is older than the present temple of Vishwanath.
Gauri Kedareshwar Temple
This ghat has one of the very old temples, Gauri Kedareshwar Temple, from where it gets the name, Kedar Ghat. Gauri Kedareshwar Temple is dedicated to lord Eshwar and goddess Parvati. The main temple has a Shivling and Nandi. Kedareshvara is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The temple is famous for being the replica of the lingam at Kedarnath Himalayan temple. The Shivalinga in the inner sanctum of the temple is not an ordinary one, with a lumpish outcropping of rock with a white line through it. Traditionally believed to be a ‘self manifest’ linga, giving the same virtue as the other Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand.
One can even witness the mark of Aurangzeb’s Sword when he tried to demolish this temple but failed to do so. The temple’s interior and ghat give a glimpse of the Southern part of India. The façade of the ghat faces a Kund, Shree Gauri Kund which is mostly dry and fills up only in the monsoon season. The sacred water of the Gauri Kund is believed to have healing properties.
With the calm environment of the Kedareshwar temple and the awe-inspiring scenery of the Ganga, the sacred Kedar Ghat is a place one should not miss visiting.
How to reach Kedar Ghat?
Kedar ghat is situated between Vijayanagaram and Chauki ghat which can be reached through the lanes of Bengali Tola or via boat. This place is 5.5 km from Varanasi Cant. Junction.
Nearby Places
- Narad Ghat
- Durga Bari Temple
