Adi Keshav Ghat

Adi Keshav Ghat is the northernmost ghat of Varanasi, located at the confluence (sangam) of the Varuna and Ganga rivers in Uttar Pradesh. It is notable for the Adi Keshava Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu situated above the ghat. Considered one of the oldest ghats in the city and part of the Panchatirtha pilgrimage circuit, it is revered for ritual bathing and offers a quieter, less crowded ghat experience compared to central Varanasi ghats.

Visitors can expect a wide stone-stepped riverfront at the Varuna-Ganga confluence with views of the river and boats. The ghat is dominated by the Adi Keshava Temple on the upper embankment. The setting is relatively open and less commercial than the main ghats, with pilgrims bathing, priests performing rituals, and boatmen offering rides. Areas to explore include the stepped ghat, the sangam point, and the temple courtyard.

Adi Keshav Ghat is regarded as one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi and is mentioned in Puranic literature. The Adi Keshava Temple enshrines Vishnu as Adi Keshava and marks the traditional first tirtha of Varanasi. The present ghat and temple structures were restored and rebuilt during the Maratha period, with later repairs by local rulers, maintaining its status as the starting point of the Panchatirtha yatra.

The ghat holds high religious importance for Hindus as the sangam of the Varuna and Ganga rivers, where bathing is considered highly auspicious and purifying. It is the first of the five sacred tirthas (Panchatirtha) in the Kashi pilgrimage tradition and is associated with Vishnu worship at the Adi Keshava Temple. Pilgrims visit for ritual baths, prayers and ancestral rites.