Ghats
Encyclopedia
As used in many parts of South Asia
, the term ghat ' onMouseout='HidePop("23790")' href="/topics/Stairway">steps
") refers to a series of steps leading down to a water body, usually a holy river. 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.
and Varanasi
where stairs exist to access the Ganges.
in western India
there are further significant ghats along the Narmada River
.
The word is also used in some places outside of the Indian subcontinent where there are Indian communities. For example, in George Town, Penang
in Malaysia, the label "Ghaut" is used to identify the extensions of those streets which formerly ended in ghats before reclamation of the quayside (e.g., Church St Ghaut - in Malay
Gat Lebuh Gereja - is the name of the extension of Church St beyond where the street used to descend to the water via a ghat). In both Penang
and Singapore
, there are areas named Dhoby Ghaut
(dhobi
meaning "launderer" or "laundry", depending on whether it refers to a person or a business).
" or "cremation" ghats where bodies are cremated waterside, allowing ashes to be washed away by rivers; notable ones are Nigambodh Ghat
and Raj Ghat in Delhi
on the Yamuna
, that latter of which was the cremation area for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and numerous political leaders after him, and the Manikarnika Ghat
at Varanasi on the Ganges.
and also Hindi
, Gujarati
ghat is a term used to identify a difficult passage over a mountain. One such ghat is the Bhor Ghat
connecting the towns Khopoli
and Khandala
, on NH 4
about 80 km north of Mumbai
.
In many cases, the term is used to refer to a mountain range itself, as in the Western Ghats
and Eastern Ghats
.
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, the term ghat ' onMouseout='HidePop("23790")' href="/topics/Stairway">steps
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
") refers to a series of steps leading down to a water body, usually a holy river. 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.
Etymology
In English- and Hindi-speaking areas, ghats refers to the areas in holy river-side cities like HaridwarHaridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
and Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
where stairs exist to access the Ganges.
Along rivers Ganga and Narmada
The numerous significant ghats along the Ganges are known generally as the 'Varanasi ghats' and the 'ghats of the Ganges'. In Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
in western India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
there are further significant ghats along the Narmada River
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
.
The word is also used in some places outside of the Indian subcontinent where there are Indian communities. For example, in George Town, Penang
George Town, Penang
George Town was voted as one of the best cities in Asia by Asiaweek, ranked 6th in 1998 and 9th in 2000. More recently, George Town has improved a notch to rank as the 9th most liveable city in Asia in a survey of 254 cities worldwide according to an international location ratings survey by , an...
in Malaysia, the label "Ghaut" is used to identify the extensions of those streets which formerly ended in ghats before reclamation of the quayside (e.g., Church St Ghaut - in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
Gat Lebuh Gereja - is the name of the extension of Church St beyond where the street used to descend to the water via a ghat). In both Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, there are areas named Dhoby Ghaut
Dhoby Ghaut
Dhoby Ghaut is a place in Singapore that often refers to the Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, a major interchange station on the Mass Rapid Transit of Singapore. Dhoby Ghaut or Dhobi Ghat literally means washing place in Hindi, from dhobi "washerman" or one that does laundry and ghat, generically meaning...
(dhobi
Dhobi
The Dhobi are a caste group found in Pakistan and India who specialize in washing clothes. The word Dhobi is derived from Hindi word dhona, which means to wash. They are found throughout North India, Gujarat, Maharashtra as well as the Punjab province of Pakistan, where they are known as Gazar...
meaning "launderer" or "laundry", depending on whether it refers to a person or a business).
Shamshan ghats
Ghats such as these are useful for both mundane purposes (such as cleaning) and religious rites (i.e. ritual bathing or ablutions); there are also specific "shmashanaShmashana
Shmashāna also spelled as Smashan is the name for Hindu cremation ground, where dead bodies are brought and then lit on pyre to be burnt.The word has its origin from Sanskrit language, Sham means Shava, a corpse. Shana means Shanya a bed. It is usually located near a river or water body in...
" or "cremation" ghats where bodies are cremated waterside, allowing ashes to be washed away by rivers; notable ones are Nigambodh Ghat
Nigambodh Ghat
Nigambodh Ghat is a moderate-sized area on the banks of the Yamuna river coast in New Delhi, situated on the Ring Road, Delhi at the back of the historic Red Fort. It consists of a series of bathing and ceremonial stepped piers leading to the waters of the river...
and Raj Ghat in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
on the Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
, that latter of which was the cremation area for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and numerous political leaders after him, and the Manikarnika Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat
Manikarnika Ghat is one of the ghats in Varanasi and is most known for being a place of Hindu cremation.-History:It is one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi.-Significance:...
at Varanasi on the Ganges.
Other uses
In MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and also Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
ghat is a term used to identify a difficult passage over a mountain. One such ghat is the Bhor Ghat
Bhor Ghat
Bhor Ghat or Bor Ghat, Bhore Ghaut, is a mountain passage located between Karjat and Khandala in Maharashtra, India along the railway line and between Khopoli and Khandala....
connecting the towns Khopoli
Khopoli
Khopoli is an industrial town in the Khalapur taluka of Raigad district, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, at the base of the Sahyadri mountains. Patalganga River which is the tailrace channel of Tata Hydroelectric Power station flows through Khopoli....
and Khandala
Khandala
Khandala is a hill station in the Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra, India, about three kilometres from Lonavala and seven kilometers from Karjat....
, on NH 4
National Highway 4 (India)
National Highway 4 is a major National Highway in Western and Southern India. NH 4 links four of the 10 most populous Indian cities - Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai. NH 4 is in length and passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.NH 4 constitutes...
about 80 km north of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
In many cases, the term is used to refer to a mountain range itself, as in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
.
Gallery
External links
- Ghats of Varanasi, webpage at VaranasiVaranasi-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
official website.