Harishchandra Ghat

The pyramid of stacked wood piled high above the stone steps marks Harishchandra Ghat. One of the oldest cremation sites in Varanasi, it serves the city alongside Manikarnika. It takes its name from King Harishchandra, a mythological ruler who once worked as a caretaker at this very cremation ground to uphold his commitment to truth. Families still bring their loved ones here to be cremated, believing that the fire lit on these banks breaks the cycle of rebirth and grants immediate liberation.