Nigambodh Ghat, situated on the banks of the Yamuna River in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, is the oldest crematorium "ghat" (typically a series of steps leading down to a river) in the city, for performing "Antim Sanskar" or "Antyesti", the last funeral rites for the dead in Hinduism. It is situated on the Ring Road at the back of the historic Red Fort. Occupying a moderate area, it is one of the busiest funeral sites with 50 to 60 pyres burning every day. The ghat has a series of bathing and ceremonial stepped piers that lead to the holy waters of the Yamuna River.
Legend of Nigambodh Ghat
The Nigambodh Ghat derives its name from the legend relating to the Mahabharata era, which says Lord Brahma, the Hindu God of Creation, had bathed here in the waters of the ghat and recovered his lost memory and knowledge imparted by the sacred books. The ghat has thus been named as "Nigambodh", which literally refers to realisation of knowledge.
Nigambodh Ghat is said to have been established by Prince Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas and the king of Indraprastha. Presently, the ghat is considered to have the largest and busiest cremation ground in New Delhi, for carrying out the Hindu funeral rites. It is well equipped with an electric crematorium built in the 1950s. It also has a compressed natural gas (CNG) run crematorium that was added by the Municipal Corporation in 2006.
The Nili Chatri temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and said to also have been built by Prince Yudhishthira, lies adjacent to the ghat, along with the Nigambodh Gate, which is one of the last gates of Old Delhi (erstwhile Shahjahanabad) established during the Mughal era.
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