We both step and do not step in the same rivers. We are and are not… Heraclitus
Every time I visited the Ghats of Kolkata, I was faced with this reality. Standing in stoic silence, the ghats seemed almost impervious to the stories of the lost and found, of the oppressed and the oppressor. Yet there is a strange comfort in taking refuge on the steps of a ghat when one is tormented, physically or emotionally. When no amount of consolation can heal the pain, the ghat can provide quiet solace, answering the unanswered with its dignified silence.

From birth to death the ghats are a perfect place to carry out the Hindu rituals of marriage, the thread ceremony, shradh and so on. While some of the ghats by the Hooghly, such as Ma-er Ghat, Sarvamangala Ghat, Rani Debendrabala Ghat, Jagannath Ghat, Adya Shraddha Ghat are replete with temples, deeming them ultimate religious sanctums, others such as the Fairlie Place Ghat, Armenian Ghat, Mallick Ghat, serve as lifelines to a major chunk of the city's population. Yet others, such as Prinsep Ghat, Baboo Ghat, or Chhotelal Ghat are popular tourist sites. Also there are ghats such as Chitpore Ghat, PK Tagore Ghat, Balaram Bose Ghat that have been witness to significant historical events. These have spine chilling stories to tell.  Some such as the Goenka Ghat and Prinsep Ghat reflect the architectural exuberance and grandeur that the city once boasted. 

Watching the activities of the riverine from the ghats can be both enchanting and soul-cringing. Here, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that we have deliberately avoided mentioning the burning ghats, despite their rich historical background. Something prevents us from having to confront the morbid realities of life.
The series, Ghats of Kolkata, covered nearly 29 ghats over a period of two and a half years. Some of these are located in the heart of the city, others in the outskirts and yet others were stumbled upon in the most unlikely of places. It was an absolutely thrilling experience to re-explore some of the already known ghats while also discovering some of the not known. These ghats are the real gems of the Kolkata landscape, especially for those who value solace and solitude over the temporal city life. 

The series contains not only first-hand information on each of these ghats but also the original route maps for you to visit them at your convenience. It is not only for your spiritual upliftment that one should visit the ghats but also to 'Know your City' which happens to be one of the mottos of Kolkata on WHEELS. My heart goes out to KMC and Kolkata Port Trust for their continued efforts in trying to revamp some of the dilapidated ghats, giving a complete makeover to the city's river-line.

Spending a quiet evening on the steps of one of the less frequented ghats I could tell the many hues of life's submerged emotions, unleash several of life's mysteries. I could see life with a different lens with its exits and its entrances, never appearing the same; where darkness is not absolute, where life unfolds in layers as it reveals its secrets, where the deeper you take a plunge, the less you react to its several vicissitudes. 
In the words of Brian Paul Bach (tweaking his quote just a tiny bit) I would like to say, 'Stay curious, have fun, and be sure to come when the Ghats call!!' Perhaps, who knows, we shall meet again some day?