The Varanasi Heritage Dossier/Jain Ghat

Detailed description of each heritage Site - Asi Ghat to Pancakota Ghat

Vaccharaja and Jain Ghats

Location

25º 17.578’ North and 83º 00.398’ East (Jain temple, Jain Ghat)

Exact location on a map

Vaccharaja and Jain Ghats Close to the turning towards Asi Ghat, on the right is the entrance gate to the temple.

Area

0.26 ha

Historical/cultural/natural significance

Jain Ghat, named after the 7th Jain Tirthankara Suparshvanatha who was believed to be born in the neighbourhood. In commemoration a temple of Surapshvanath (Svetambara sect) was built in the upper part in 1885.Prior to 1931 this was part of Vaccharaja Ghat, but when Babu Shekhar Chanda has built this part separately and given the name with the support of Jain monks, that is how it is called Jain Ghat. The ghat renovated and re-constructed in 1988 by the irrigation department of the government of Uttar Pradesh. The nearby area is inhabited by boatmen who were responsible for polluting the area, but in the recent past the civic sense and mass awakening have prevailed in better way to improve the situation.

Present state of conservation

Except by the temple trusts directly taking care of the three properties, there are no specific action plans, programmes and strategies for conservation and preservation of the ghats. The trusts maintain their properties according to their own perspectives without specific plans.

B- 3/15 Jain Ghat. Not only the ground floor illegal construction (stated as illegal and demolished at Serial no. 46 in the VDA affidavit dated 2 Dec 2012 and 24 Jan 2013) but the whole building is illegal and the owners reconstructed the building after it was punctured, illegally re-constructing all floors.

Specific measures being taken for conserving the specific property

It is expected that by the support of active people participation, awareness to save the age-old rich heritage, and development under the Master Plan (and its judiciary control) the ghat heritage will be protected and conserved for the better befit to the society.

Ownership

The respective trusts own the specific properties along the ghat, and the Municipal Corporation owns the ghat area.