Harishchandra Ghat

Harish Chandra Ghat is one of the oldest Ghats of Varanasi. It is also one of the two cremation Ghats. It is another burning ghat where they cremate the deads, though not so famous as the other burning ghat called Manikarnika ghat, the cremations take place at this ghat much earlier than in Manikarnika ghat. It is considered as a way to attain liberation if cremated here. It is a humbling experience & offers a way of experiencing the harsh reality of life. Pyres burn here 24 x 7. Can be a part of the boat ride, which usually covers all Ghats between Harishchandra Ghat & Manakarnika Ghat, the other Burning Ghat, in 40 minutes ride.
This Ghat is having a story of Truth King Raja Harishchandra who worked here, so that this is moral ghat also, ghat is really huge and next to Dasaswamedh Ghat. Raja Harischandra was a king in Varanasi who believed in honesty and spoke only the truth. The story goes that once in his dream he saw himself gifting his kingdom to the sage Vishwamitra. In reality after he had gifted his kingdom to the sage, Viswamitra asked him for an additional 500 gold coins. Harishchandra sold his wife and his son and came to work here on this ghat. Here he cremated a lot of dead bodies, however one day he had to cremate his own son.There is a continuous funeral pyre burning here. It is famous for the Truthfulness and justice loving nature of Raja Harishchandra. The legend goes that he served as a servant on this Ghat to pay the money for doing a Dah Sanskar of his son.
There is one more cremation Ghat at Varanasi. Hindus from various distant places bring the dead bodies of their near and dear ones to the Harish Chandra Ghat for cremation. It is believed that if a person is cremated at the Harish Chandra Ghat, He gets "Moksha". It is a surprise that we will not get Dead Body Smell here. The other amazing factor is that the places is surrounded by houses from three sides wherein people have been residing for ages and generations. At this ghat, around 350 kgs of wood is being per cremation of one dead body. These are places to quietly observe the whole dance of life - from playing children to mourning families to burning bodies.
At this ghat, one can watch the whole cremation ritual from a distance. It is a powerful experience for people from other cultures, where death is understood in a different manner.