Munshi Ghat

Munshi Ghat is one of the Ghats in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Munshi Ghat
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
Location
CountryIndia
Geographic coordinates25°18′20.475″N 83°0′35.68″E

Significance

Built in the year 1812, Munshi Ghat is named after Sridhara Narayana Munshi, who was a finance minister in the estate of Nagpur. In 1915, the Brahmin king Kameshwar Singh Gautam Bahadur of Darbhanga (Bihar) purchased the ghat and extended it. The extension later became known as Darbhanga Ghat.[1]

Darbhanga Ghat extension

The palace of Darbhanga Ghat is made of sandstone from Chunar, with beautiful porches and Greek pillars. This area has been of importance in the Puranic context, but has also gained importance for its grandeur and architectural style.

In 1994 the Darbhanga palace was purchased by the Clarks Hotel Group, who named it the Brijrama Palace, and planned to transform it into five star hotel. They have already demolished almost half of the structure from the back; its back perimeter is being extended and its height raised in order to make suitable for the use of the planned hotel. It would be a lovely setting for the hotel with a view to attract a high class rich tourists from the west, however by the growth of essential infrastructural facilities the whole environment may face the problem of pollution, socio-psychological depression and harder common life.[2]

References
  1. Proposing Varanasi for the World Heritage List of UNESCO (PDF), Varanasi Development Authority
  2. Singh, Rana P.B., Vrinda Dar and S. Pravin, Rationales for including Varanasi as heritage city in the UNESCO World Heritage List, National Geographic Journal of India (varanasi) 2001, 47:177-200CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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