'The Manikarnika ghat is held to be among the major ghats in Varanasi and is essential to the spiritual significance of the city. It is the most popular cremation site in Varanasi. Devotees believe that those cremated here attain moksha and are released from the recurring cycle of life and death. At this sacred ghat of Manikarnika, death and eternal life reside hand in hand. Mythological legends also suggest that the Manikarnika Kund, a small well near the ghat was built by Lord Vishnu during the creation of the world. A rare irony of both creation and destruction symbolized at the same place make Manikarnika a site worth visiting.'