The Red-and-White Steps
Kedar Ghat is among the most photographed of the southern ghats: broad steps banded in red and white stripes, crowned by the Kedareshwar temple, whose Shiva linga is especially beloved of Kashi's South Indian communities. The temple above gives the ghat its devotional centre; the colours give it its fame.
Kedareshwar Temple
Tradition holds the Kedareshwar linga here to carry the sanctity of Himalayan Kedarnath into Kashi — a dwelling of Kedar in the plains. Pilgrims who cannot make the Himalayan yatra find its echo here. The temple's Gauri-Kedareshwar precinct is one of the old city's quietly powerful shrines.
Visiting
- On the riverfront between Assi and Harishchandra — an easy, beautiful walk from Assi.
- Dawn light on the striped steps is a photographer's gift; the ghat is calm by central-Kashi standards.
- Combine with Harishchandra and Assi on a southern-ghats walk.