Massacre Ghat
Encyclopedia
Satti Chaura Ghat or Massacre Ghat (Hindi
: सती चौरा घाट / मसकर घाट, कानपुर ) is a famous ghat(riverbank steps) in Kanpur city, the industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh
in North India
. It is located on the bank of River Ganges in Kanpur near Jajmau
.
s have been a traditional part of India
n secular and religious life. They have served religious and community
gathering purposes. When located on holy rivers like River Ganges, they often have attached temples dedicated to deities of the Hindu
pantheon
.
Sati Chaura Ghat has been an important maritime
boarding point for the river route from Kanpur to Allahabad
from pre colonial period. In recent years, after the acquisition of the surrounding areas by Cantonment Board and private industrialists, it has receded in its traditional historical importance as the center of urban life in the old city of Kanpur.
annexation
of Awadh
, the ghat had earlier been nickname
d as Massacre Ghat, by the East India Company
officials after the historical events of the 1857 Indian Mutiny at Cawnpore.
It was at this location that the initial momentous events of Indian Rebellion of 1857
, named as Siege of Cawnpore
in British
colonial records, took place.
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...
: सती चौरा घाट / मसकर घाट, कानपुर ) is a famous ghat(riverbank steps) in Kanpur city, the industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
in North 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...
. It is located on the bank of River Ganges in Kanpur near Jajmau
Jajmau
Jajmau is a city near Kanpur, India. It is situated on the banks of the Ganges River . Jajmau is an industrial suburb. It is believed as the oldest inhabited place in the region. The main industry is the leather industry. It is home to some of the Biggest Leather tanneries in Northern India...
.
Importance
River GhatGhat
Ghat is the capital of the Ghat District in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya.-History:In historical times, Ghat was a major terminal point on the Trans-Saharan trade route and a major administrative center in the Fezzan...
s have been a traditional part of 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...
n secular and religious life. They have served religious and community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
gathering purposes. When located on holy rivers like River Ganges, they often have attached temples dedicated to deities of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pantheon
Pantheon (gods)
A pantheon is a set of all the gods of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology.Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a...
.
Sati Chaura Ghat has been an important maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
boarding point for the river route from Kanpur to Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
from pre colonial period. In recent years, after the acquisition of the surrounding areas by Cantonment Board and private industrialists, it has receded in its traditional historical importance as the center of urban life in the old city of Kanpur.
History
During the beginning of the colonialColony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, the ghat had earlier been nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d as Massacre Ghat, by the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
officials after the historical events of the 1857 Indian Mutiny at Cawnpore.
It was at this location that the initial momentous events of Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, named as Siege of Cawnpore
Siege of Cawnpore
The Siege of Cawnpore was a key episode in the Indian rebellion of 1857. The besieged British in Cawnpore were unprepared for an extended siege and surrendered to rebel Indian forces under Nana Sahib, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. However, under ambiguous circumstances, their...
in British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonial records, took place.
Location
The ghat is located on the southern bank of River Ganges and marks the northern boundary of Kanpur city.Historical Awareness
This Ghat has become historically important since the Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. On June 27, 1857, Kanpur (formerly Cawnpore) saw one of the grimmest stories of Indian history of independence. Around 300 British men, women and children were slaughtered at the Satti Chaura Ghat, later gaining identification as Massacre Ghat. Those who escaped the brutal fate that day were later killed at the Bibighar Massacre. The rebellion was believed to be led by Nana Sahib of Peshwa from which the Ghat was renamed as Nana Rao Ghat. The Ghat now stands alone evoking the sad story. What was massacre to the Britons, the then colonial masters, was the War of Independence for the colonized Indians. Today the Massacre Ghat bears a tranquil scene marked by a small white temple. The Ganges here has turned unclean and efforts are in process to help regain Ganga its sanctity.  |
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Attractions
- A Hindu templeTempleA temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
built in 1966. - It attracts a lot of visitors from Kanpur city during the monsoon months when the River Ganges threatens to breach the banks.
- There is a sand pit / dangal (अखाड़ा) for kushtiPehlwaniPehlwani or Pahlavani or Kushti is a Persian style of wrestling popular in Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It was developed in the Mughal era through a synthesis of Indian malla-yuddha and Persian Varzesh-e Bastani....
of local wrestlers. An annual wrestling competition is held during the months of July/August. - It is a favorite haunt of a large population of Indian rhesus monkeys.