The southernmost ghat in Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the Assi Ghat attracts tourists and devotees from all walks of life. The pilgrims gather in this Ghat to pay homage to Lord Shiva in the form of lingam, which is situated under a peepal tree. Due to its location at the confluence of the Ganga and Assi Rivers, devotees are attracted to the small marble temple near the Ghat that has the Asisangameshwar lingam which represents the lord of confluence of the Asi.
History of Assi Ghat
In early sacred Hindu texts like the Matsya Purana, Agni Purana, Karma Purana, Padma Purana and Kashi Khanda, there have been mentions of the Assi Ghat. In the Kashi Khanda, the Assi Ghat is mentioned as the Saimbeda Tirtha, which means that taking a holy dip here, makes a devotee attain "punya" of all the Hindu pilgrimage sites or Tirtha. There are other ancient legends, which suggest that, the place where Goddess Durga had thrown her sword after slaying the demon, Shumbha- Nishumbha gave rise to a big stream called the Assi River. In Hinduism, it is believed that it was at Assi Ghat that Tulsidas, the Indian poet and saint, left for his heavenly abode.
Tourism at Assi Ghat
The Assi Ghat can accommodate about 22,500 people at once during festivals. On an average day, there are almost 300 people visiting the Ghat, starting from tourists to regular devotees. Some of the great festival such as Maha Shivaratri, Ganga Dussehra, Ganga Mahotsav etc attracts a huge crowd at this Ghat and becomes a popular tourist spot. After the 2010 Varanasi bombing, security has been made tighter with extra police patrol in and round the Assi Ghat.
Assi Ghat in Popular Culture
The Assi Ghat has been mentioned in novels and showed on screen in Bollywood movies. In the Hindi novel, Kashi ki Assi by Indian author, Kashninath Singh, the plot is set in a mohalla or locality near the Ghat. A Bollywood adaptation of the novel has been made in 2018 called Mohalla Assi starring Sunny Deol and directed by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi. The plot of the 2013 Hindi romantic drama, Raanjhanaa, is also set in the city of Varanasi and few of the scenes have been shot in Assi Ghat.
