Lahartara Pond is a historical pond associated with the appearance of Saint

Kabir Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...

Saheb. According to a legend, Saint Kabir Saheb was found floating on a lotus flower in the pond. It is located in

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In the past, it was a large freshwater

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

that spanned . In the present day, it no longer has its historical grandeur because about of the pond is under the directorate of

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

, Uttar Pradesh, while another are under Satguru Kabir Prakat Dham.

History and legends

The history of the Lahartara Pond is connected with the famous poet and mystic Saint Kabir. It is situated in the

Varanasi District Varanasi district is a district in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, with Varanasi city as the district headquarters. It is surrounded by Mirzapur district, Jaunpur district, Ghazipur district, Chandauli district, and Bhadohi distric ...

, in Uttar Pradesh, and is a short distance away from Kabir Math. At first, the pond occupied , but nowadays it's been fractionated and placed under the jurisdiction of different institutions. Legend says that infant Kabir was found floating on a

lotus flower ''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as sacred lotus, Laxmi lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often ref ...

Religious and cultural significance

The pond has a great significance among the Kabir Panthis for its connection with the appearance of Kabir Sahib Ji. Kabir Sahib Ji was found lying on a lotus flower in this pond in an infant Form, from where Neeru-Neema, the foster parents of Kabir, took Kabir home.

Pollution and environmental concerns

The fabled pond of Lahartara is situated near the GT Road on the

Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...

route. Once a sight for sore eyes, today it lies in a more destitute state. About from the Varanasi Cantonment railway station, spread over , is nothing but a dumping ground for filth and a swamp of wastewater. The government continues to turn a blind eye towards the heritage site. Once a big pond of fresh water, it has sadly lost all its grandeur. Only about of the pond is protected by the directorate of archaeology, Uttar Pradesh, and about 8 acres is under the possession of Sadguru Kabir Prakatya Dham. The remaining part has been surrounded by rampant encroachment on all sides. Sadguru Kabir Prakatya Dham continues to better manage its portion of the pond. They have come up with a plan to construct a grand memorial and a fixed pond within the pond. Chief of Panth Hazoor Ardhnan Saheb, while sharing remarks about the deteriorating condition of the

Heritage Site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been re ...

, spoke about the continuing progress being made at the memorial of Saint Kabir and said that the historically significant pond should immediately be restored and a plan should be put into place that ensures that such sites don't get neglected in the future. In August 2003, the High

Court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

ordered that improvements should be made to the pond, but as of 2020 it was still in bad condition.

Reference

{{coord missing, Uttar Pradesh Tourist attractions in Varanasi Lakes of Uttar Pradesh