Hanuman Ghat

Hanuman Ghat is a significant spiritual site in Varanasi, primarily dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It is deeply revered for its historical associations with great Bhakti saints and its connection to physical strength and discipline. It is believed that a gambler named Nand Das constructed the steps of this ghat. There are beautiful temples on the way to Ghat. According to oral history, the Hanuman shrine here was built by Tulasi in the early 17th century — possibly the same era as Tulsidas, the poet-saint who transformed Hindu devotional practice. The ghat was originally called Rameshwaram Ghat because of the famous Rameshwar idol that still presides here. Inside the Ram Mandir, there are five Shiva Lingas — each named after Ram, his two brothers, his wife Sita, and his monkey-devotee Hanuman. It's a beautiful theological statement: Ram's entire family, embodied as Shiva. But the real soul of Hanuman Ghat is its connection to Vallabhacharya, the 15th–16th century saint who lived here and laid the foundation for the great revival of Krishna bhakti that swept across North India. And then there's Nanddas, a gambler who, legend says, built the ghat steps with one day's winnings — a reminder that in Varanasi, even sinners can become saints. The Juna Akhara still maintains its presence here, and if you're lucky, you'll see wrestlers training in mud pits nearby — a tradition that echoes Hanuman's combination of physical strength and spiritual purity. This is a ghat where warrior ascetics, poets, gamblers, and gods all share the same stone steps.