Ghat


Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, to refer to the series of steps leading down to a body of water or wharf, such as a bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river or pond, the Ghats in Varanasi, Dhobi Ghat or the Aapravasi Ghat.

Etymology

The origin of the English 'ghat' is, and is normally translated as ghaṭ, quay, landing or bathing place, as well as steps by a river-side. The word 'ghat' has also been derived from Dravidian etymons such as Telugu kaṭṭa and gaṭṭu derived from kaṭṭu meaning "to tie".

Types

River ghats

These are bathing wharves on a river.
The numerous significant ghats along the Ganges are the Varanasi ghats and generically the "ghats of the Ganges". Most of these were constructed under the patronage of various Maratha rulers such as Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century.
In Madhya Pradesh in central India, there are further significant ghats along the Narmada River. People who live on the steps are also called ghats.
The Bhagalpur Ghats are another examples.

Shmashana, the cremation ghats

Ghats such as these are useful for both mundane purposes and religious rites ; there are also specific "shmashana" or "cremation" ghats where bodies are cremated waterside, allowing ashes to be washed away by rivers. Notable examples include Nigambodh Ghat and Raj Ghat in Delhi, situated on the Yamuna River. Raj Ghat, in particular, was the cremation site for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and numerous political leaders after him, and the Manikarnika Ghat at Varanasi on the Ganges.

As place name suffix

"Ghat" and "Ghata" is also a suffix used in several place names across the subcontinent. This is an incomplete list:
The word is also used in some places outside the Indian subcontinent. For example, in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, the label "Ghaut" is used to identify the extensions of those streets which formerly ended in ghats before the reclamation of the quayside. Both in Penang and Singapore, there are areas named Dhoby Ghaut.
Aapravasi Ghat or The Immigration Depot is a building complex located in Port Louis on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, the first British colony to receive indentured, or contracted, labour workforce from India. From 1849 to 1923, half a million Indian indentured labourers passed through the Immigration Depot, to be transported to plantations throughout the British Empire. The large-scale migration of the laborers left an indelible mark on the societies of many former British colonies, with Indians constituting a substantial proportion of their national populations. In Mauritius alone, 68 percent of the current total population is of Indian ancestry. The Immigration Depot has thus become an important reference point in the history and cultural identity of Mauritius.