In birth and in death, the Kolkata ghats have stood by us, silent and still, ready to embrace us with all their age-old warmth and familiarity. While the ghats display a decaying architectural heritage and vignettes of the old order, it is overwhelming to see how the daily rituals of the people by the quays remain untouched. 
Location
Prasanna Kumar Tagore (or PKT) Ghat is located on the Strand Bank Road, opposite the Burra Bazar Circular Railway Station in the Posta area of north-west Kolkata. The ghat may be accessed through Strand Road since Strand Bank Road is closed to traffic. This ghat is located about 500 metres south of Nimtala Ghat.

The Ghat
When forced to manoeuvre through the congested Strand Road, and we have to park the car far away to reach the bank of the Ganges, having to dodge insistent porters and nudge begging urchins out of the way, eyebrows are bound to furrow in frustration. Though not a pleasurable experience, it is the best way to reach the PKT Ghat as no Google pin drops can give you a better way to negotiate the labyrinth of lanes. But when you finally reach, after all the grime and sweat and tears – the diehard Kolkata fans find it’s worth the effort. Visiting the ghat can be such a fulfilling experience, thanks to the restoration efforts of the Kolkata Port Trust. 
Earlier known as Pathuria Ghat (Pathuriaghata Thakur Bari probably called so for its proximity to this ghat), this was renamed as Prasanna Kumar Tagore (PKT) Ghat by the Kolkata Port Trust – primarily a bathing ghat. It is adorned with a magnificent colonnade comprising three massive cast iron arches each displaying large, beautifully carved creepers with broad leaves, on the eastern and western sides of the colonnade. The roof similarly sports a cast iron railing. There are a few permanent counters built inside the colonnade for carrying out Hindu rituals (such as the shraddha) by the priests.

The colonnade gives way to the river front by way of a broad flight of stairs built in red sand stone. The stairs lead right down to the water to provide convenience in bathing. Out of the three sections, two are for the men while the third has been reserved for the ladies to bathe in. The enormous size of the ghat is what makes it so special as compared to the rest of the ghats in the city. 
Unfortunately, the beauty of the colonnade is shadowed by the overbridge constructed by the Circular Railway. Added to that is the burden of the vagrants and the destitute, who have converted the premises almost into a slum. 

History
Prasanna Kumar Tagore (1801–1886) was the son of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Hindu College. He belonged to the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family. He was a prominent social reformer and played a significant role in the spread of education. The ghat was probably named after him to symbolise his multifaceted contributions in the upliftment of the then Hindu society.
The PK Tagore Ghat emanates a rich sense of history. One very interesting story has to do with the ceremonial dip at this ghat by a large number of Hindus and Muslims on the Raksha Bandhan festival of 1905

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In the early years of the 20th century, Bengal witnessed the peak of the Nationalist Movement, which posed a formidable threat to the British Raj. To curb this movement, the British decided to divide Bengal by separating the Hindu majority regions of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha from the Muslim-dominated areas of Assam and Sylhet. This move of Britain's was vehemently opposed by various contemporary leaders including Rabindranath Tagore. 
The partition order was passed in August 1905, about the time of Raksha Bandhan. Tagore deftly used the concept of brotherhood, togetherness and ‘the thread of protection’ as a medium to protest against British’s partition policy and to bring unity among the two communities and composed ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol.’ 
Following Tagore’s call, a massive procession was held from Joransanko to the PK Tagore Ghat. Hundreds of Hindus and Muslims from Kolkata, Dhaka and Sylhet joined the march and ended the procession with a ceremonial bath at this ghat. They then tied Rakhis to proclaim the credo ‘the spirit of Bengal is indivisible’…indeed!
Another interesting incident that the ghat witnessed came a little earlier in December, 1899. Jagatguru Swami Shankaracharya had sought permission from the Port Commissioner to perform a four-month long yagna, which involved the erection of a specific structure on the PKT Ghat. A special Yagna Committee later requested for an extension till June 1900. 

Unable to keep their word, the committee again applied for an extension, this time to the Lt. Governor of Bengal and to Lord Curzon. This enraged the Port Commissioner, who threatened to demolish the structure on the ghat. The Committee turned a deaf ear to the threat and proceeded with the yagna. 
However, in July 1900, Lt. Governor Sir John Woodburn himself took the side of the Port Commissioner and levelled the structure. Albeit, the incident didn’t carry a trail, but ever since, anyone seeking the ghat land for religious purposes was allowed to do so as long as their activities did not impinge on the rights of the public and no structures were built. 

Life at the Ghat
Rajinder Jadhav, a daily wage earner, joins his ‘ghat friends’ at sundown, whom he rarely meets during the day. Chatting, they go through the motions of daily cleansing – oil-massaging the body, vigorous scrubbing and soaping, quick dips, offering prayers to the setting sun, wiping themselves dry with a red chequered towelling sheet, before leaving the river bank. 
The urchins are seen running down from the top and diving into the cool river for their part of the fun. Ladies of all ages washing and bathing in the holy waters of the Ganga is a common sight. They are also found drying clothes on the stairs and filling cola bottles with the murky river water (the holy gangajal) before leaving the bank. It is customary for pandas to wait at the ladies-only section of the ghat, hoping to oversee for a fee the rituals to follow.
The permanent structures inside the colonnade of the ghat provide a platform to the impecunious priests, who earn their living by performing religious rituals. Such structures are even seen on the northern side of the ghat on the flight of stairs, meant to serve the same purpose. 
Prasanna Kumar Tagore Ghat exudes a strange calm. The immediate propensity on reaching this ghat, is to let loose all inhibitions, giving in to a complete surrender of the heart, mind and soul, to the deep, the gorgeous, the serene Ganga. Such is the magnanimity of PK Tagore Ghat, such its manifest charm!!