Manikarnika

Manikarnika is a term with Sanskrit roots that appears in various Indian contexts, including a place name and a work of cinema. The most widely recognized references are a cremation site in Varanasi and a 2019 biographical film about Rani Lakshmi Bai.

Manikarnika Ghat is one of the prominent cremation ghats along the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is an ancient and active site where Hindu funeral rites are performed. The ghat is part of the broader sacred landscape of Kashi and attracts visitors who come to observe or participate in traditional rituals as part of a pilgrimage or cultural experience. The name Manikarnika, meaning “ear jewel” in Sanskrit, is tied to the mythic and religious associations that surround the city and its cremation ghats.

Manikarnika (film) refers to a 2019 Hindi-language biographical period drama about Rani Lakshmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi, and a key figure in India’s 1857 rebellion against the British East India Company. Directed by Krish (Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi) and produced by Zee Studios, the film stars Kangana Ranaut as Lakshmi Bai. It presents a stylized account of her life and resistance, and received mixed reviews regarding historical accuracy while achieving notable box office attention in India and abroad.

Beyond these uses, Manikarnika can also function as a given name or title in Indian contexts, reflecting its Sanskrit origins.