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Photo: Aleksandr Zykov from Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The main cremation ghat; a must-see, but remain quiet and avoid taking photographs (scams are plentiful here; see the "Stay Safe" section). There's a 74 m temple on the ghat called Ratneshwar Temple, which is leaning by 9°, more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its sanctum is generally underwater most of the year, except during the summer.
Manikarnika Ghat is one of the oldest and sacred ghats on the banks of the River Ganges, in the city of Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is included in the 84 ghats of Varanasi.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The Golden Temple
The most famous temple in the city, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shaivism. The temple was destroyed multiple times by Mughal invaders and was reconstructed by Hindu kings who followed them. There are four gates to enter the temple. The main gate, called "Ganga Dwar", is accessible from the Manikarnika Ghat. There is a wide corridor leading to the main temple. Security is tight making entrance to the main temple difficult and sometimes completely off-limits to foreigners. Bags, mobile phones or pens are not allowed inside the main temple, although they are allowed within the corridor. You have to deposit them at the "mobile lockers" within the corridor area. If you enter the temple from other three gates, you have to deposit the prohibited items at the nearby shops.
A rather controversial mosque built during the rule of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is believed among the Hindus that the Gyanvapi Mosque is the original site of Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Photography is prohibited.
Man Mandir Observatory
Jantar Mantar literally means a combination of instruments and formulas (jantar = instrument and mantar = formula). It is an observatory consisting of a series of masonry architecture of unique form, each with a specialized function for astronomical measurement. Jai Singh, king of Amber, built 5 such observatories across northern and western India. Apart from Varanasi the other 4 places are Jaipur, Delhi, Ujjain and Mathura (one in Mathura no longer exist). The Varanasi Jantar Mantar is much smaller compared to the ones in Delhi and Jaipur. The observatory houses 6 instruments of 5 types (it has 2 Samrat Yantra or sun dial). Apart from the observatory, the Man Mahal houses a Virtual Experiential Museum showing a series of light and sound shows. The shows include one on the mythology of the Ganges and its course. There are models depicting life in Varanasi and including a model of a pan shop. There is an interactive musical gallery.
Overlooking Panchganga Ghat, it's a great place for a bird's eye view of the area.