Desaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi, crowded with pilgrims at sunrise. Photographed in November 1996 by Andy Carvin.

As used in many parts of South Asia, the term ghat (Bengali: ঘাট ghaţ, Hindi: घाट "steps") refers to a series of steps leading down to a body of water. In Bengali-speaking regions, this set of stairs can lead down to something as small as a pond or as large as a major river. In English- and/or Hindi-speaking areas 'ghats' refers to the areas (particularly in the holy city of Varanasi) where stairs exist to access the Ganges River. Ghats such as these are useful for both mundane purposes (such as cleaning) and religious rites (ie., ritual bathing or ablutions); there are also specific 'Shamshan ghats' or 'cremation ghats' where bodies are cremated waterside, allowing ashes to be washed away by rivers.^[1] The numerous significant ghats along the Ganges are known generally as the 'Varanasi ghats' and the 'ghats of the Ganges'. In Madhya Pradesh in western India there are further significant ghats along the Narmada River.

References

1. ^ Funeral pyre to be set up in Lahore - Daily Times Pakistan

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