Manikarnika Ghat In Benaras Demolished; National Heritage Been Destroyed For Commercial Interest.

Varanasi; January 2026: The Manikarnika Ghat also known as the “Mahashmashan” (Great Cremation Ground) was demolished by bulldozing in a bid to construct the New Manikarnika Ghat.

The new Manikarnika Ghat will include VIP seating on the roof. In addition, special attention will be paid to the provision of ramps, viewing areas, seating arrangements, and other basic amenities. A wood plaza will also be constructed at Manikarnika Ghat, where mourners can purchase wood for Cremations.

The plan for renovation and redevelopment of Manikarnika Ghat was started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone in July 07, 2023. The total renovation cost of the project is expected to be around Rs 17.56 crore. The administration Master plan is to streamline and widen the area from Manikarnika Ghat to Scindia Ghat. This includes Better facilities for pilgrims visiting the ghats, Easier access and seating arrangements for those coming for cremations, and strengthening connectivity to Scindia Ghat.

It is worth noting that the Manikarnika Ghat, the great cremation ground of Kashi, holds immense religious significance. According to religious beliefs, after death in Kashi, Lord Shiva himself whispers the Taraka Mantra into the ear of the deceased, granting them salvation. This is the only cremation ground in the world that burns pyres 24 hours a day, earning the name Mahashmashan (Great Cremation Ground), with people from around the world visiting the sacred site.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today called the demolition of Manikarnika Ghat not urban planning, but a “grave sin”. In a post on X, she said that the bulldozers are not clearing debris to make way for progress, but are instead tearing through the historical fabric woven by figures like Ahilyabai Holkar.

“It is extremely regrettable that centuries-old religious and cultural heritage has been destroyed by running bulldozers at Manikarnika Ghat in Banaras. Manikarnika Ghat and its antiquity hold religious significance, and it is also associated with the memories of Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar Ji”, she added.

She has accused that the ongoing redevelopment at Varanasi’s Manikarnika Ghat, the government’s ‘renovation’ is a mask for commercial greed, turning a sacred heritage site into a commercial hub while systematically dismantling the very temples and traditions that make Kashi eternal”.

“In the name of development, for the commercial interests of a few people, erasing the country’s religious and historical heritage is a grave sin. Even before this, many temples, several centuries old have been demolished in Banaras in the name of renovation. These conspiracies to erase the religious, spiritual, and cultural identity of Kashi must be stopped immediately”, added the Congress leader.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today raised questions over the proposed transformation of Varanasi’s famous cremation ground, Manikarnika Ghat, calling it a ‘tasteless beautification and commercialisation’ attempt which is “destroying centuries-old religious, cultural, and spiritual heritage”. He alleged that in the name of development, multiple temples, small and large shrines were being demolished.

“Millions of people come to Kashi every year in the final stage of their lives seeking moksha. Is your intention to betray these devotees?” Mallikarjun Kharge asked. Kharge posted pictures and videos on X of idols allegedly already demolished, along with bulldozers in the area.

“In the name of tasteless beautification and commercialisation, you have run bulldozers at Manikarnika Ghat in Banaras, destroying centuries-old religious, cultural, and spiritual heritage. You want every piece of historical heritage to be erased and just your nameplate stuck on it”, Kharge wrote on X.

Kharge said it is a “crime” to demolish such rare heritage, established in the Gupta period and renovated by Lokmata Ahilyabai Holkar. He asked, whether the intention behind all this is to benefit “PM Modi’s business friends”. The Congress President asked, “You have handed over water, forests, mountains, everything to them; now it’s the turn of cultural heritage. The people of the country have two questions for you:

• couldn’t restoration, cleanliness, and beautification have been done while preserving the heritage?

• Why were axes taken to the hundreds-of-years-old idols that became victims of the bulldozer at Manikarnika Ghat, and why were they dumped in the rubble? Couldn’t they have been preserved in a museum”?

Team Maverick.