Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India, home to several temples and ghats

where religious rituals are performed. Varanasis ghats are set on the banks of
the Ganges, a sacred river for the Hindus. Varanasi is home to around 87 ghats
where pujas and aartis are conducted every day.

Prime Minister Modi will be accompanied by the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo
Abe to Varanasi tomorrow.After a grand reception at the airport, the schedule
includes an aarti at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. However apart from the
magnificent ghat, there are several others where the Ganga aarti is just as
spectacular to watch.

So, here are six of the most famous and most-visited ghats of Varanasi that
should probably be on the Prime Ministers list of places to visit.

1. Dashashwamedh Ghat

The Dashashwamedh Ghat (pictured above) gets its name from the legend that
Lord Bramha sacrificed ten horses (dasa- aswa, which translates to ten horses)
during a yagna here. Most festivals are celebrated on a very grand scale here. It
is located close to the Vishwanath Temple. This is also said to be the ghat where
Bramha created Shiva.

2. Assi Ghat

Located at the confluence of Ganga and Assi rivers, the Assi Ghat is the
southernmost ghat of Varanasi. Like at several ghats, Assi Ghat witnesses an
aarti ritual that is also a tourist attraction. The area around Assi Ghat is the
setting for an unreleased Sunny Deol-starrer movie, Mohalla Assi, which itself
has been adapted from a book Kashi Ka Assi that offers a satirical take on the
commercialization of Varanasi. This is the place where the reknowned poet
Tulsidas took his last breaths.

3. Chet Singh Ghat

Constructed by Maharaja Chet Singh in the 18th century, the eponymous Chet
Singh Ghat is a fortified one. The ghat and its surrounding areas were witness to
a fierce battle between Chet Singh and Warren Hastings, the first governor
general of India. The beautiful ghat fell into the hands of the British after Chet
Singhs defeat who then lost it to Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh in the later
half of the 19th century. Bathing isnt advisable at this ghat since the current of
the Ganges can be quite sharp.

3. Lalita Ghat

Lalita Ghat was built by the king of Nepal, Rana Bahadur Shah, when he lived in
Varanasi during his exile. While here, he wanted to build a replica of the
Pashupatinath Temple in Varanasi, and so began the construction of this ghat.
There is a Nepali Temple and a temple dedicated to Lalita an incarnation of
Goddess Adi-Shakti.

4. Man Mandir Ghat

Dating back to the 17th century, the Man Mandir Ghat is one of the oldest ghats
of Varanasi. Constructed by Raja Savai Man Singh, it was originally named
Someswara Ghat and is a classic example of royal Rajasthani architecture.

5. Munshi Ghat

The Munshi Ghat is home to the Darbhanga Palace which is a visual treat. The
Darbhanga Palace was constructed by the royal family of Bihar and later was
extended by the then finance minister Sridhara Narayana Munshi. The Darbhanga
Ghat houses most of the Darbhanga Palace, a part of which is now converted
into a hotel. Both these ghats are beautiful and are adjacently located, you can
spend time wandering round the two ghats and admire the architecture.
6. Tulsi Ghat
Earlier referred to as Lolark ghat, the Tulsi Ghas gets its name form Tulsidas, the
saint-poet who wrote the Ramcharitramanas. Tulsidas spent a large section of
his life at this Ghat. it was cemented only in 1941, by Baldeo Das Birla. There is a
Hanumana temple at the ghat, where there was a written copy of the
Ramcharitramanas, which was stolen from the temple in 2011.