Title

Ghaut at Benares, 1876. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

Ghaut at Benares, 1876. 'The sacred city of Benares, considered by the Hindoos as the head-quarters of their religion and science, is situated on the left bank of the Ganges...It is a great mart for the shawl trade, the Dacca muslin trade, and that of Central India...The temples and shrines are very curious...The ghauts, quays, or landing-places are perhaps the most conspicuous feature of Benares at first sight. They present broad and solid stone steps to the river, alternating with numerous temples and pagodas along the entire city front. The Hindoos were formerly allowed to immolate themselves by fire and water on these ghauts in the way of voluntary human sacrifices to the deities of their fierce religion. There are some places called the "Burning Ghauts," at which the bodies of the Hindoo dead are burnt, and the bones and ashes thrown into the Ganges'. From "Illustrated London News", 1876.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/The Print Collector

Reference

HRM23A81_026

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

48,7Mb (5,0Mb) / 16,5in x 11,4in / 4960 x 3430 (300dpi)

Keywords

travel city river building buildings India religious architecture arts religion temple temples art clothes British geography color death dress holy sacred cityscape Hinduism parasols parasol location umbrellas umbrella century Britain newspapers press pilgrimage clothing print accessory accessories concept Uttar Pradesh Ganges Varanasi Hindu Ganges River river ganges APPAREL B&W ghats tourist attraction engraved engraving Colour Benares Hindu Temple 19th century black & white black and white B W white and black ghat nineteenth century tourism The Print Collector cremation geographical feature Illustrated London News TGN ILN blessed newspaper landscape Burning Ghats Unknown cremating 19th-century clothing & dress fashion & clothing