Ganga Aarti of Varanasi
Varanasi, also known as Kashi or Banaras, is a city to die for...literally! According to the Hindu mythology & beliefs, a preson attains Moksh, or Nirvana, if he or she dies in this holy city. Apart from the tall tales, the historic & holy city is a traveler & a photographer's delight, with the Ganga Aarti performed in the dusk at Dasaswamedh Ghat, near the famous Kashi Vishvanath temple, on the banks of the mighty river Ganga, surely the highlight of the city. Thousands of pilgrims & travelers flock the ghat in the evening to witness this spectacular Aarti performed by seven young Pandits.
The Aarti which I witnessed was performed in a steady drizzle, which neither fazed the Pandits, nor the pilgrims, who kept on chanting Har Har Gange along. The Aarti which commenced with the blowing of a Shankh (a conch shell) and continued with the waving of Agarbattis (incense sticks) in elaborate patterns and circling of large flaming lamps that created bright star spikes as rain pattered on my lens. The heady scent of sandalwood & burning Camphor smoke thickly permeated the air to a mesmerizing frame. A magical evening on the Ghats of the holy Ganga.
Ganga Aarti of Varanasi
Varanasi, also known as Kashi or Banaras, is a city to die for...literally! According to the Hindu mythology & beliefs, a preson attains Moksh, or Nirvana, if he or she dies in this holy city. Apart from the tall tales, the historic & holy city is a traveler & a photographer's delight, with the Ganga Aarti performed in the dusk at Dasaswamedh Ghat, near the famous Kashi Vishvanath temple, on the banks of the mighty river Ganga, surely the highlight of the city. Thousands of pilgrims & travelers flock the ghat in the evening to witness this spectacular Aarti performed by seven young Pandits.
The Aarti which I witnessed was performed in a steady drizzle, which neither fazed the Pandits, nor the pilgrims, who kept on chanting Har Har Gange along. The Aarti which commenced with the blowing of a Shankh (a conch shell) and continued with the waving of Agarbattis (incense sticks) in elaborate patterns and circling of large flaming lamps that created bright star spikes as rain pattered on my lens. The heady scent of sandalwood & burning Camphor smoke thickly permeated the air to a mesmerizing frame. A magical evening on the Ghats of the holy Ganga.