Harishchandra Ghat
Harishchandra Ghat
4
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Plan your visit
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
426 within 3 miles
Attractions
102 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
140 reviews
Excellent
61
Very good
47
Average
27
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Raghav Chaudhary
India198 contributions
Jan 2022
The ghat is an excellent place to observe the sunrise and the sunset and experience the beauty of nature closely. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that if a person is cremated at the Harish Chandra Ghat, that person gets salvation or "moksha".
This is also the ghat where the evening Ganga Aarthi takes place attracting a huge crowd.
This is also the ghat where the evening Ganga Aarthi takes place attracting a huge crowd.
Written 24 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sanju_222323
New Jersey16,652 contributions
Apr 2021
Of course not a great site to see burning bodies, but that's the truth. I guess every Hindu must have heard this story of this ghat named after Harishchandra ghat and is associated with “Truth” or Satya.
It’s believed that, once Rishi Viswamitra asked for Dakshina (Ritual fee) from Harishchandra, he generously gave his entire kingdom to him. Viswamitra accepted the kingdom but was not happy with the fee. To be true to his word, Harishchandra sold his wife and son into slavery and he traveled to Kashi. In Kashi, he devoted himself as a worker in a crematorium.
One day his wife arrived at Kashi with the dead body of their son. His wife could not afford the crematorium fee but Harishchandra turned them away. Gods were watching Harishchandra carefully and were pleased with the strengths of his character. Finally, God returned his kingdom and family to him. Harishchandra Ghat is the oldest ghat and one of the two cremations ghats of the city. The ghat is said to be even older than Manikarnika Ghat and called as “Adi Manikarnika” or “Original Manikarnika”.
The perfect way to see all the ghats in Varanasi is - boat Tour. Agents will come to you when you will be nearby ghats and negotiate with you, make sure that before riding. but again, to see 130 ghats and their beauty, you must have this in Varanasi,
It’s believed that, once Rishi Viswamitra asked for Dakshina (Ritual fee) from Harishchandra, he generously gave his entire kingdom to him. Viswamitra accepted the kingdom but was not happy with the fee. To be true to his word, Harishchandra sold his wife and son into slavery and he traveled to Kashi. In Kashi, he devoted himself as a worker in a crematorium.
One day his wife arrived at Kashi with the dead body of their son. His wife could not afford the crematorium fee but Harishchandra turned them away. Gods were watching Harishchandra carefully and were pleased with the strengths of his character. Finally, God returned his kingdom and family to him. Harishchandra Ghat is the oldest ghat and one of the two cremations ghats of the city. The ghat is said to be even older than Manikarnika Ghat and called as “Adi Manikarnika” or “Original Manikarnika”.
The perfect way to see all the ghats in Varanasi is - boat Tour. Agents will come to you when you will be nearby ghats and negotiate with you, make sure that before riding. but again, to see 130 ghats and their beauty, you must have this in Varanasi,
Written 13 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rakeshsharmandmc
Agra, India507 contributions
Jun 2017 • Couples
The Raja Harish Chander Ghat in Varanasi on the bank of the river Ganga is one of the oldest ghats and as per saying Raja Harish Chander used to work here. This is one of the two ghats in Varanasi where the dead are cremated and the last rites conducted.It is located adjacent to the Kedar ghat.
Written 21 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
neetu737800
New Delhi, India3 contributions
Jan 2016 • Business
I was there for few times and i was at peace by the reality and the ultimate truth of life.one should visit such places, must visit,if you want to see the reality of life and to further strengthen your soul.
Written 29 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SSRaju
Dubai, United Arab Emirates120 contributions
Dec 2019
One of the numerous kings who ruled India and left an indelible impression on the Hindu way of life was Raja Harischandra. No other personality in the entire human history can match his adherence to truth and a promise that he made. Giving us his kingdom and becoming a slave to a sage who was testing his resolve, the trials and tribulations during his life are truly legendary. The ghat where he took up a job of being in charge of the crematorium reminds of his numerous sacrifices for the sake of truth.
Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LAKSHMAN JOIS G P
Bangalore5 contributions
Nov 2012 • Family
The ghat is fascinating.For one thing that we think we are going to live till eternity only to end up as a corpse in some burial ground some day in the future.One gets some insight into the fallacies of life in the ghats of varanasi be it harishchandra,dashashvamedh or manikarnika.
Written 31 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
miq
Stupava, Slovakia129 contributions
Feb 2020
smaller than Manikarnika ghat, but equally interesting. 4-5 cremations happened at the same time, lot of people (just men) were mourning around the fire...
Written 17 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Krishna1970
Hyderabad, India297 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
Harishchandra Ghat is one of the oldest and important Ghats of Varanasi. Harishchandra Ghat is name after a mythological King Harishchandra( forefather of Lord Rama) who worked at the cremation ground here for the perseverance of truth and charity.
It is one of the two cremation Ghats (the otherone being Manikarnika Ghat). Hindus from different places bring the dead bodies of their relatives to the Harishchandra Ghat for cremation. In Hindu mythology it is believed that if a person is cremated at the Harishchandra Ghat, that person gets salvation or moksha.
It is one of the two cremation Ghats (the otherone being Manikarnika Ghat). Hindus from different places bring the dead bodies of their relatives to the Harishchandra Ghat for cremation. In Hindu mythology it is believed that if a person is cremated at the Harishchandra Ghat, that person gets salvation or moksha.
Written 4 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FloFlo
Cluj-Napoca, Romania82 contributions
Varanasi ist the only place in India where cremation is permitted to take place round the clock. It is also believed, that cremation here grants Moksha, or liberation, by Shiva's grace. If it just were so easy, liberation would probably be for anybody, but it is not :)
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. Just go and experience it
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. Just go and experience it
Written 28 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jolyon67
Melbourne, Australia5,672 contributions
Dec 2013 • Solo
Of all the ghats in Varanasi this is the one that you might stay at the longest. It is a cremation ghat and the scenes you see here are likely to stay in your mind for a long time. Watching human bodies burn, in such a public situation is very confronting to western eyes. You shouldn't take any photos here out of respect for relatives of the dead. It has a rather industrial feel to it - with a building with chimneys looking very out of place with the other ghats. Bodies wrapped in saffron robes are carried down to the river and you will see some on funeral pyres in the process of being burnt. Goats freely wander about and munch on flowers draped on the corpses which I found a bit disrespectful. It is a fascinating and disturbing thing to watch. possibly one of the few places in the world where you see such a thing. Very memorable.
Written 15 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing