Satti Chaura Ghat (''Satī Caurā Ghāţ'') or Massacre Ghat is a famous

ghat Ghat (), a term used in the Indian subcontinent, to refer to the series of steps leading down to a body of water or wharf, such as a bathing or cremation place along the banks of a river or pond, the Ghats in Varanasi, Dhobi Ghat or the Aap ...

Kanpur Kanpur (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), originally named Kanhapur and formerly anglicized as Cawnpore, is the second largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow. It was the primary ...

, the industrial hub of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

state in north

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is located on the bank of the River Ganges in

Kanpur Cantonment Kanpur Cantonment (popularly referred to as Kanpur Cantt) is a military cantonment in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Kanpur Cantonment was established in the year 1811 and is situated on the right bank of river Ganges and is bound by Kanpur ...

near

Jajmau Jajmau also known as Jajesmow during British Era, is a suburb of Kanpur, India. It is situated on the banks of the Ganges River, and is an industrial suburb. It has the population of about 652,831 according to the census of 2011. The area comes ...

Geography

The ghat is located on the southern bank of River Ganges and marks the northern boundary of Kanpur city. River

s have been a traditional part of

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

life. They have served

and

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

gathering purposes. When located on holy rivers like

River Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...

, they often have attached temples dedicated to

deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

of the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

pantheon. Sati Chaura Ghat has been an important

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

boarding point for the river route from Kanpur to

Allahabad Prayagraj (, ; ISO 15919, ISO: ), formerly and colloquially known as Allahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi, Varanasi (Benar ...

from pre colonial period. In recent years, after the acquisition of the surrounding areas by Cantonment Board and private industrialists, it has receded in its traditional historical importance as the centre of urban life in the old city of Kanpur.

History

Satichaura or embankment of satis had been a place years ago some women had committed sati and in commemoration a small temple with stone steps along the bank to facilitate bathing, had been built. The origins of the ghat date to pre-colonial times. It was at this location that the initial momentous events of

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

, named as

Siege of Cawnpore The siege of Cawnpore was a key episode in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The besieged East India Company forces and civilians in Cawnpore (now Kanpur) were duped into a false assurance of a safe passage to Allahabad by the rebel forces under ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

colonial records, took place. The ghat was renamed as Massacre Ghat after the rebellion. It is now under the charge of the Kanpur Cantonment Board. It is still in use as a bathing and ritual ghat for local population.

The siege

This Ghat has become historically important since the Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. On 27 June 1857, Kanpur (then spelled as Cawnpore) saw one of the grimmest stories of Indian history of independence. Around 300 British men, women and children were murdered at the Satti Chaura Ghat, later gaining identification as Massacre Ghat. Those who escaped the brutal fate that day were later killed at the

Bibighar Massacre The siege of Cawnpore was a key episode in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The besieged East India Company forces and civilians in Cawnpore (now Kanpur) were duped into a false assurance of a safe passage to Allahabad by the rebel forces under ...

. The rebellion was believed to be led by the Peshwa Nana Sahib from which the Ghat was renamed as Nana Rao Ghat.

Attractions

* A Hindu

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

built in 1966. * It attracts a lot of visitors from Kanpur city during the monsoon months when the River Ganges threatens to breach the banks. * There is a sand pit / dangal (अखाड़ा) for

kushti The ''kushti'' () also known as kosti, kusti and kustig is the sacred girdle worn by invested Zoroastrians around their waists. Along with the sedreh, the kushti is part of the ritual dress of the Zoroastrians. Origin The Avestan term for ...

of local

wrestlers Wrestling is a Martial arts, martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling ...

. An annual wrestling competition is held during the months of July/August.

References

{{Kanpur Ghats of India Tourist attractions in Kanpur Buildings and structures in Kanpur