Varanasi Ghats - Munshi Ghat

Varanasi Ghats - Munshi Ghat :

The Munshi Ghat is a short ghat located north of Dashaswamedh Ghat, between Ahilyabai Ghat and Darbhanga Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi. Its proximity to Dashaswamedh Ghat means that the Munshi Ghat is choked full of boats. By the way, the word "munshi" means "accountant" in Hindi. Very picturesque and worth a photo if you can get one. The ghats are always full of life. Pilgrims wading in the Ganges; vendors selling flower garlands and other objects used in worship; priests giving blessings or chanting scriptures under large umbrellas—a variety of people can be found at the ghats, no matter what time of day. Everywhere, street life and religious ritual intersect.

The ghats grow even more crowded on festival days, when up to hundreds of thousands of people can flock into Varanasi from all over India. During Divali, the “festival of lights” in late October, worshippers float clay lamps along the river. During Holi, held in the spring, people splash each other with colored powder and water. There are also hundreds of minor festivals that are celebrated only by those from a certain region, or by those of a certain caste.