Assi Ghat is located at the southern end of Varanasi at the confluence
of Asi River and Ganga River. Thousands of devotees take holy dip here and then
offer prayers to a beautiful Shivling consecrated under a peepal tree. Another
Shivling that is worshipped here is that of Assi-Sangameshwar – Shiva as the lord
of confluence.
As per Puranas, Goddess Durga threw her sword here after
killing Demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Another legend has it that during the fight with demons, the sword of Durga struck here and the Assi river sprang forth from the spot.
The Ghat is mentioned in Matsya
Purana, Agni Purana, Kurma Purana, Padma Purana and Kashi Khanda of Skanda Purana.
Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas here.
Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas here.
Thousands of devotee arrive at the ghat to take holy bath in the month of Magh (January - February) and Chaitra (March - April). Makar Sankranti (Jan 14/15) is of importance here. Another important date here is the Hari Prabodhini Ekadasi in November. Apart from this thousands of Hindus take holy dip here during Surya and Chandra Grahan (eclipse).
The ghat is situated near the Shivala in South Varanasi.
Pilgrims also visit the Lolarka Kund (near Assi ghat). It is
a rectangular tank fifteen metres below ground level. Lolarka Kund is among
Varanasi’s earliest sites, one of only two remaining sites associated with
Surya Bhagavan (sun god).
Another important spot nearby is the Tulsi Ghat - originally Lolarka Ghat - but renamed in the honour of the poet Tulsidas, who lived nearby in the sixteenth century.