Jain Ghat

Jain Ghat
Jain Ghat in Varanasi
Religion
Affiliation	Jainism
Deity	Suparshvanatha
Location
Location	Varanasi
State	Uttar Pradesh
Country	India
Interactive map of Jain Ghat
Architecture
Established	1931
Temple	3

Jain Ghat is a ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The ghat is associated with Jainism and Suparshvanatha, the seventh Tirthankara. A Jain temple dedicated to Suparshvanatha stands at the ghat.

The ghat was formerly part of the adjacent Vaccharaja Ghat. In 1931, it was developed separately and became known as Jain Ghat.

History

Jain Ghat originally formed part of Vaccharaja Ghat. Vaccharaja Ghat had been made pucca during the latter half of the 18th century by a merchant named Vaccharaja. In 1931, the Jain community developed a separate pucca ghat from part of Vaccharaja Ghat, after which it became known as Jain Ghat. The official Kashi portal attributes the development of this section to Babu Shekhar Chanda, who separated it from Vaccharaja Ghat with the support of Jain monks.

The ghat was subsequently renovated and reconstructed by the Irrigation Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 1988.

Suparshvanatha temple

Digambara temple

Śvetāmbara temple

A Jain temple dedicated to Suparshvanatha, the seventh Tirthankara, stands on the upper part of Jain Ghat. The temple was constructed in 1885. The temple commemorates the Jain tradition that Suparshvanatha was born in the neighbourhood of the ghat. Varanasi is an important Jain pilgrimage centre and Jain tradition associates the city with the birthplaces of four Tirthankaras—Suparshvanatha, Chandraprabha, Shreyansanatha and Parshvanatha.

The Bhadaini–Jain Ghat area contains both Digambara and Śvētāmbara shrines dedicated to Suparshvanatha. The official Kashi portal describes the Digambara shrine at Jain Ghat as an elevated, dome-shaped temple.

Religious significance

Jain tradition identifies the Bhadaini area with events in the life of Suparshvanatha. The site is consequently known as Bhadaini Tirth. According to Jain tradition, four of the five kalyanakas of Suparshvanatha—conception, birth, renunciation and enlightenment—are associated with the site. The Śvētāmbara temple contains a white image of Suparshvanatha measuring approximately 68 cm (27 in), while the Digambara temple contains an approximately 46 cm (18 in) image.

Jain devotees regularly perform religious activities and bathe at the southern end of the ghat.

Relationship with Vaccharaja Ghat

Jain Ghat adjoins Vaccharaja Ghat and historically formed part of it. The two ghats remain closely associated with the Jain tradition concerning the birthplace of Suparshvanatha. A Śvētāmbara Suparshvanatha temple is situated at Vaccharaja Ghat, while the Suparshvanatha temple at Jain Ghat is identified by the Government of Uttar Pradesh as a Digambara temple.

See also

• Ghats in Varanasi
• Parshvanath Jain temples, Varanasi
• Chandrawati Jain temple
• Sarnath Jain Tirth

References

Sources

• Kashi. "Jain Ghat". Varanasi Smart City Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
• Kashi. "Bhadaini Jain Temple". Varanasi Smart City Limited. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
• Government of Uttar Pradesh. "Jain Ghat". Pawan Path. Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
• Government of Uttar Pradesh. "Vaccharaja Ghat". Pawan Path. Government of Uttar Pradesh. Retrieved 20 August 2026.

External links

• Official website