Namami Gange Ghat, Sultanganj also known as Uttarvahini Ganga Ghat[1] is a modern riverfront facility located in Sultanganj, Bihar, India. It was developed under the Government of India's Namami Gange Programme, which seeks to clean and rejuvenate the Ganga River while improving amenities along its banks. The ghat holds special importance as the primary starting point of the annual Shravani Mela pilgrimage and is closely linked with the historic Ajgaibinath Dham.[2][3][4][5]
Sultanganj (popular known as Ajgaibinath Dham),[citation needed] lies on the southern bank of the Ganga. The town is notable for the Ajgaibinath Temple, a revered Shiva shrine believed to date back to ancient times. The temple stands on a rocky outcrop in the river and is associated with various Hindu legends and traditions.[6]
As part of the Namami Gange Programme launched in 2014, the ghat was redeveloped with improved infrastructure, sanitation, and facilities for pilgrims visiting the temple and participating in religious festivals.[7][8]
Development and infrastructure
Under the Namami Gange project, the ghat was upgraded to include:
Paved, non-slippery bathing platforms
Public toilets and changing rooms
Drinking water facilities and flood-resistant pathways
Enhanced lighting, CCTV security, and safety measures
The Bihar government has also sanctioned funds for two dharmashalas (pilgrim rest houses), including one for VVIP visitors, to accommodate the massive influx of devotees during the Shravani Mela season.[9]
Religious significance
Namami Gange Ghat at Sultanganj holds a central place in the spiritual life of eastern India. The ghat marks the starting point of the Shravani Mela, one of the largest annual religious pilgrimages in the region. Every year during the Hindu month of Shravan (July–August), millions of devotees, known as Kanwariyas, gather at this ghat to collect sacred water from the Ganga River.[10]
Sultanganj is unique because the Ganga flows northward (Uttarvahini Ganga), a direction considered especially auspicious in Hinduism. Devotees carry the water in kanwars (decorated slings) and undertake a 105-kilometre barefoot journey to the Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand, where the water is offered to Lord Shiva as part of an elaborate ritual.
Local traditions associate the site with the Treta Yuga and hold that Lord Rama himself worshipped here before his battle with Ravana. Saints such as Jahnu Rishi are also believed to have meditated along this stretch of the Ganga.
Today, the ghat serves not only as a place for ritual bathing and offerings but also as the venue for devotional music, religious discourses, and cultural programs organized throughout the month-long festival. These events blend spirituality with cultural celebration, attracting participants from across India, Nepal, and Bhutan.[11][12][13]
Cultural events
The ghat becomes the focal point of cultural activities. Devotional music concerts, Ganga Aarti, folk performances, and spiritual discourses are organized daily by the Bihar Tourism Department, often featuring prominent artists and attended by state dignitaries.[14]
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