Chausatthi Ghat

The Sixty-Four Yoginis: Protectors of the Sacred Mandala

In the esoteric Shakta and Kaula Tantra traditions, the Sixty-Four Yoginis represent the sixty-four fundamental cosmic rays of divine female energy (*Matrikas* and *Shaktis*) emanated by Goddess Mahadurga.

According to the Kashi Khanda (Chapter 45), when Lord Brahma attempted to test the spiritual purity of Varanasi, he dispatched the sixty-four celestial Yoginis to find flaws in the sacred city. Upon setting foot on the riverbank, the Yoginis were so completely enchanted by the divine beauty, peace, and spiritual power of Kashi that they refused to return to heaven. Instead, they took eternal vows to reside permanently on this high stone ridge, establishing a protective circle (*Yogini Mandala*) guarding the city against negative psychic forces and demonic intrusion.

"Chausatthi yoginibhih sarvam parivritam shivam kashi-mandalam... The sacred circle of Kashi is perpetually encircled and protected by the sixty-four Yoginis, bestowing instant spiritual accomplishment upon sincere seekers." — Kashi Khanda

King Pratapaditya of Jessore: Bengal’s Royal Devotion

The physical paving of Chausatthi Ghat in permanent stone dates back to the late 16th century under the royal patronage of Maharaja Pratapaditya (one of the celebrated *Baro Bhuyans* or twelve sovereign kings of Bengal).

An ardent devotee of Goddess Kali and the Tantric Shaktis, King Pratapaditya journeyed to Varanasi in 1580 CE to seek divine blessings for his kingdom. Observing that the steep clay cliff leading to the Yogini shrine was perilous for pilgrims during the monsoon rains, he commissioned master stonecutters to build the monumental, wide-tread sandstone staircases that still rise dramatically from the river current to the temple gates today.

Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati: The Living Sage of Kashi

In the 19th century, Chausatthi Ghat became globally famous as the residence of Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati (1833–1899), one of modern India’s most illustrious Advaita Vedanta saints.

Living an ascetic life of total renunciation and wearing only a loincloth even during severe winter frosts, Swami Bhaskarananda radiated extraordinary spiritual peace. During his journey across India in 1896, the famous American author Mark Twain visited the sage at Chausatthi Ghat, later writing with profound reverence in *Following the Equator*:

"He is a holy man... He was dressed in a single small piece of cloth; he had no other possessions in the world, yet kings and princes come to bow before him. He was sixty years old and looked fifty; he was serene, gentle, and happy." — Mark Twain

The Esoteric Circle: Anatomy of the 64 Yogini Mandala

In the sacred scriptures of Tantric Shaktism—including the Kaula Jnana Nirnaya and the Kalika Purana—the Sixty-Four Yoginis are revered as the primary cosmic emanations of the supreme Goddess (*Mahashakti*).

Unlike conventional anthropomorphic deities, the Yoginis encompass the entire spectrum of cosmic forces: from fierce, terrifying aspects that destroy demonic pride (*Raudra* and *Bhairavi*) to gentle, nurturing manifestations that bestow wisdom, healing, and spiritual illumination (*Saumya* and *Vidya*).

In the sanctum of the Chausatthi Devi Temple at the crest of the ghat, the primary deity is consecrated as Goddess Kali, surrounded by the symbolic murtis of the sixty-four Yoginis. Initiated Shakta practitioners and householder devotees climb the steep sandstone staircases at dawn to perform *Kumkumarchana* (worship with consecrated vermilion powder), offering red hibiscus flowers and chanting the *Yogini Hridayam*, praying for protection against psychic negativity, planetary afflictions, and spiritual obstacles.

King Pratapaditya of Jessore: The 1580 Stone Fortress Steps

The monumental scale of Chausatthi Ghat's stone architecture is the enduring legacy of Maharaja Pratapaditya of Jessore (1561–1611).

As one of the most powerful and independent-minded rulers of medieval Bengal, King Pratapaditya maintained an immense army and navy. An initiated devotee of Goddess Kali (whom he worshipped as *Jashoreshwari*), Pratapaditya made a historic pilgrimage to Kashi in 1580 CE to seek divine sanction for his reign.

Recognizing the strategic and spiritual importance of the high bluff crowned by the Chausatthi Devi temple, the king deployed master masons from Bengal and Chunar to construct the steep, fortified sandstone stairways that ascend more than thirty meters from the river level, engineering wide breakwater buttresses that have protected the cliff from soil erosion for over four centuries.

Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati: The Sun of Advaita Vedanta

During the late 19th century, Chausatthi Ghat was renowned across the world as the spiritual seat of Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati.

Born in Kanpur and initiated into the Dashanami Sannyasa order, Swami Bhaskarananda settled in an ashram garden near Chausatthi Ghat, practicing extreme renunciation and unbroken absorption in non-dual consciousness (*Nirvikalpa Samadhi*). Despite possessing no material belongings, the saint's radiant wisdom and boundless compassion drew an extraordinary array of global visitors:

• Mark Twain (1896): The celebrated American author had an unforgettable private audience with the saint, describing him as the embodiment of absolute peace and spiritual perfection.
• Maharaja Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh: The Maharaja of Benares regularly climbed the steps of Chausatthi Ghat to seek the sage's counsel on state affairs and philosophical matters.
• Pandits & Western Orientalists: Scholars from Oxford, Berlin, and Calcutta journeyed to Chausatthi Ghat to engage in Sanskrit dialogues on Shankara's commentaries and the *Upanishads*.

Chitra Pournami: The Grand Festival of the 64 Yoginis

The annual pinnacle of celebration at Chausatthi Ghat occurs during the sacred festival of Chitra Pournami (the full moon day of the lunar month of Chaitra/March-April).

On this auspicious night, tens of thousands of women devotees from across northern and eastern India assemble on the steep stone staircases. Dressed in auspicious red and yellow sarees, pilgrims offer special *Sindoor Shringar*, sweet rice pudding (*Kheer*), and 108 earthen lamps to Chausatthi Devi.

At twilight, thousands of glowing oil deepas are released onto the river currents from the base of the ghat, transforming the dark water into a shimmering sea of golden light that illuminates the towering stone staircases and palace facades of the central crescent.

The Sacred Names of the Yoginis: Kaula Tantra Liturgy

The Kashi Khanda lists the sacred names of the sixty-four Yoginis worshipped at Chausatthi Ghat, each representing a specialized cosmic faculty:

• Gajanana & Simhamukhi: Deities with animal heads symbolizing the primal mastery over instinctual and elemental forces.
• Brahmacharini & Kaumari: Embodying absolute purity, concentration, and the unyielding fire of tapasya.
• Vaishnavi & Indrani: Bestowing prosperity, sovereign protection, and psychic courage upon spiritual practitioners.
• Chamunda & Chhinnamasta: Destroying egoic ignorance (*Avidya*) and granting immediate liberation from the fear of death.

Initiated Shakta pandits recite the complete *Chausatthi Yogini Namavali* during the auspicious Navaratri festivals, anointing the deity with sacred vermilion and offering sixty-four earthen oil lamps, creating an atmosphere of intense divine presence.

Monumental Geomorphology: The High Bluff of Chausatthi

In terms of natural geomorphology, Chausatthi Ghat occupies one of the highest and steepest natural cliff formations on the entire Varanasi riverfront crescent.

The towering sandstone staircases rise steeply over thirty vertical meters from the dry-season waterline to the temple threshold. This dramatic natural elevation protected the ancient Shakta shrines from severe monsoon inundations for over a millennium, allowing the temple complex to survive virtually intact while lower riverfront structures were repeatedly washed away by the ferocious floods of the Ganges.

Bangali Tola & The Living Shakta Devotional Tradition

The residential quarters immediately inland from Chausatthi Ghat form the vibrant cultural core of Bangali Tola, the historic Bengali settlement of Varanasi.

For centuries, Shakta families from Calcutta, Dhaka, and Chittagong have lived along these narrow stone-paved galis, establishing Kali temples, Sanskrit tols, and classical music schools. During Durga Puja and Kali Puja in the autumn months, the entire ghat area is adorned with festive lights, floral pandals, and the joyous sounds of the *Dhak* drums and conch shells.

Climbing the towering stone staircases of Chausatthi Ghat in the early morning mist, amidst the fragrant smoke of camphor and the distant chanting of *Joy Maa Chausatthi*, offers one of the most unforgettable and deeply moving encounters with the living spiritual soul of India.

Architectural Grandeur: The Steep Ascent to the Yoginis

Climbing the towering stone staircases of Chausatthi Ghat is one of the most physically invigorating and spiritually rewarding experiences in Varanasi.

As one ascends step by step toward the ancient temple portal, the vast panoramic crescent of the Ganges unfolds below in all its striking majesty. In the evening twilight, the golden glow of oil lamps from the temple sanctum mingles with the violet sky, while the rhythmic beating of temple drums and the chanting of the *Devi Suktam* ascend into the night, celebrating the eternal protective grace of the Sixty-Four Yoginis over the sacred city.

The Eternal Protective Circle of the 64 Yoginis

More than four centuries after King Pratapaditya rebuilt its monumental sandstone steps, Chausatthi Ghat remains an indispensable pillar of Varanasi’s spiritual sovereignty.

By anchoring the fierce, protective grace of the Sixty-Four Yoginis on this high riverfront bluff, the ghat offers pilgrims an extraordinary encounter with the primal power of the Divine Mother. For seekers who climb these ancient steps in faith, Chausatthi Ghat promises not only freedom from earthly fear, but the supreme attainment of inner spiritual awakening amidst the sacred light of the eternal city.

The Cosmic Fortress of the Sixty-Four Shaktis

In the sacred geography of Varanasi, Chausatthi Ghat is much more than a collection of stone steps; it is a living cosmic fortress.

According to local belief, the sixty-four Yoginis continue to patrol the spiritual borders of Kashi in subtle form, blessing sincere seekers with courage, wisdom, and liberation while shielding the holy city from moral decay. As pilgrims climb the steep sandstone staircases at dawn, listening to the resonant chanting of the *Lalita Sahasranama* and the sounding of brass temple gongs, they enter into a timeless sacred space where the divine feminine energy reigns supreme over the waters of the Ganges.

The Eternal Light of the Sixty-Four Shaktis

As the full moon rises over the eastern bank of the Ganges during Chitra Pournami, illuminating the steep sandstone facade of Chausatthi Ghat in ethereal silver light, the ancient spiritual sanctuary of the Yoginis reveals its timeless majesty.

In the silent union of sacred river, ancient stone, and divine feminine grace, the seeker experiences the profound mystery that makes Varanasi the eternal, immortal city of liberation.

Visitor Guidance & Walking Routes

Chausatthi Ghat is a vital spiritual anchor on a central riverfront walk:

• Best Time to Visit: 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM for watching morning prayers and climbing the steps before midday heat; 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM for sunset river views.
• Walking Route: Located 2.35 km north of Assi Ghat (a 36-minute walk) and 550 meters south of Dashashwamedh Ghat (a 6-minute walk). It sits immediately north of Digpatia Ghat and directly south of Rana Mahal Ghat.
• Temple Access: Climbing the steep stone staircases leads directly to the Chausatthi Devi Temple. Visitors are requested to remove footwear before entering the temple compound.

Frequently Asked Questions