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INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der Ghats
Als besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".[
P1810607 - Palani Hills - Western Ghats
# 358 - 01 Jul '2019 - 20:35 (15:05 GMT)
Western Ghats - The UNESCO World Heritage Site - and is one of the eight "hottest hot-spotsof'' biological diversity in the world ...
WONDERFUL FACTS - The Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadri (Benevolent Mountains), are a Mountain range that covers an area of 140,000 square km in a stretch of 1,600 km - parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight "hottest hot-spots" of biological diversity in the world.
It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. It contains a large proportion of the country's flora and fauna, many of which are only found in India and nowhere else in the world.
According to UNESCO - the Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas.
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Als besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
i was standing near by ghat.the boat appears suddenly towards me.the foggy mornings makes the situation so beautiful.
The Neyyar Dam was established in 1958 and is a popular tourist spot that lies against the southern low hills of the Western Ghats. The Dam has a scenic lake.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Monsoon scene at Marleshwar, an ancient Shiva temple in the Indian western Ghats. The temple is surrounded by mountains on all sides and many seasonal waterfalls, of which this is the largest one, flow down them alongside the temples below.
The low clouds hanging near the mountain top add to the drama.
The magnificent ghats on the River Narmada in Maheshwar in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Maheshwar is a town situated on the north bank of the River Narmada in Khargone district of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India.It is an ancinent town and finds mention in the Puranas and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.In the late 18th century it served as the captital of the great Maratha queen Ahilayabai of the Holkar dynasty.She embellished the town with several beautiful buildings,temples and ghats. The riverfront is exquisite and several Indian films have been shot here.
Maheshwar is also a great centre for textile weaving and is famous for the beautiful Maheshwari sarees.
Source :- Wikipedia.
.Dudhsagar Waterfall Tour – An unforgettable experience
At 310 meters (1017 feet), Dudhsagar Waterfalls is one of the highest waterfalls in India, located at the Karnataka-Goa border. It is 80 kilometers south of Belgavi and 46 kilometers east of Margao. Nestled in the Western Ghats, the Dudhsagar Waterfalls comes under the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, in the Sanguem Taluka. Surrounded by verdant forests rich in flora and fauna, this is an ideal place for a quick getaway.
for more information seawatersports.weebly.com/blogs/a-monsoon-trek-to-the-daz...
A potted Pink-striped Trumpet Lily. Also called the Milk and Wine Lily. This is a low maintenance plant that produces lovely, striped, lily-like flowers and is often found growing wild in the Western Ghats. The stalk stands about 20 inches above the long leaves and holds multiple blooms at a time.
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der Ghats
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsINDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsAls besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
A young Yellow-wattled Lapwing, maybe about 7 weeks old, spotted at Madayipara, a flat-topped hillock located in the Madayi, of Kannur district of Kerala state. The Madayipara is well known for its rich diversity of plants. The aquatic and semi-aquatic plants form extensive carpets of blue, pink, white and yellow during the monsoon season. It is typical of the Laterite foothills of the Western Ghats. The bird is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and is found mainly on the dry plains of peninsular India and has a sharp call and is capable of fast flight. Like other lapwings and plovers, they are ground birds and their nest is a mere collection of tiny pebbles within which their well camouflaged eggs are laid. They are known for their large yellow facial wattles.
The tiny blue flower seen around the bird is the Utricularia, also known as Kakkapoo, a carnivorous plant that is the highlight of the region during the monsoon season, particularly during the Onam festival. The blue blooms carpet the laterite plateau, attracting tourists and nature enthusiasts. The plant is commonly and collectively called the bladderworts that is a genus of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species. They occur in fresh water and wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species across every continent except Antarctica. Utricularia are cultivated for their flowers, which are often compared with those of snapdragons and orchids, especially amongst carnivorous plant enthusiasts.
In the slums of Mumbai there is a big laundry called Dhobi Ghat. The hotels also have their laundy done there. It is Sunday, so not all the basins are being used. It doesn't look so clean and healthy.
The people there are working very hard for little money.
P1820243 - Red-hot Poker (Kniphofia)
# 369 - 28 Mar '24 - 15:56 (10:26 GMT)
Common name: Torch lily or Red-hot poker
Botanical name: Kniphofia
Family: Asphodelaceae (Aloe family)
Red-hot poker (Kniphofia) - also called - torch lily or poker plant - is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1794, It is native to Africa.
Image captured .. In The Garden of Our Resort ..
At - Kodaikanal - Palani Hills - Western Ghats - 2,135m (7,000ft) Altitude
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WONDERFUL FACTS - India's forests contain about 500 species of mammals and more than 1300 bird species.
India is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world and includes three of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots – the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas, and the Indo-Burma hotspot. It is one of the 17 megadiverse countries.
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Day Four: Bihaniya or Bhorwa Ghat (Morning Arghya): This is the last or can say the final day of this auspicious and holy festival. The devotees gather at the bank of the river with their family and friends to offer bhorwa arghya (morning offerings) to the rising Sun. After arghya, devotees knee-down at the ghat to worship Chathi Maiya, distribute thekua and then come back to home.
After their return from the ghat, the devotees or the vrattis take blessings of the elders and break their fast by eating ginger with water.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements. Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas like Scindias, Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on the tier above the water's edge".
The Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and probably the oldest ghat of Varanasi located on the Ganges, close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
It is believed that Brahma created this ghat to welcome Shiva and sacrificed ten horses during the Dasa-Ashwamedha yajna performed there. Above and adjacent to this ghat, there are also temples dedicated to Sulatankesvara, Brahmesvara, Varahesvara, Abhaya Vinayaka, Ganga (the Ganges), and Bandi Devi, which are all important pilgrimage sites. A group of priests performs "Agni Pooja" (Sanskrit: "Worship of Fire") daily in the evening at this ghat as a dedication to Shiva, Ganga, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the entire universe. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
The Manikarnika Ghat is the Mahasmasana, the primary site for Hindu cremation in the city. Adjoining the ghat, there are raised platforms that are used for death anniversary rituals. According to a myth, it is said that an earring of Shiva or his wife Sati fell here. Fourth-century Gupta period inscriptions mention this ghat. However, the current ghat as a permanent riverside embankment was built in 1302 and has been renovated at least three times throughout its existence.
The Jain Ghat is believed to birthplace of Suparshvanatha (7th Tirthankara) and Parshvanatha (23rd tirthankara). The Jain Ghat or Bachraj Ghat is a Jain Ghat and has three Jain Temples located on the banks of the River. It is believed that the Jain Maharajas used to own these ghats. Bachraj Ghat has three Jain temples near the river's banks, and one them is a very ancient temple of Tirthankara Suparswanath.
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der Ghats
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsINDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsAls besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoQeZ7Du7VE
The River Ganga at Banaras (Varanasi) is a sacred, central part of the city, known for its 88 ghats (riverfront steps) where people bathe, perform rituals, and cremate the deceased. The river is considered a holy goddess to Hindus, who believe bathing in its waters can absolve sins, and it is a major pilgrimage destination. Daily life along the Ganga includes spiritual activities like the Ganga Aarti ceremony and is a defining feature of the city's cultural identity.
Religious and spiritual importance: Hindus consider the Ganga to be a sacred goddess (Maa Ganga), and the river is central to their faith. Taking a dip in its waters is believed to purify the soul. Varanasi is a major pilgrimage site, with thousands traveling there to bathe in the river.
Ghats: The city has 88 ghats lining the river, which serve as public access points to the Ganga.
Activities: Most ghats are used for bathing and prayer ceremonies.
Cremation: Two specific ghats are used exclusively for cremation rituals.
Cultural significance: The river and its ghats are integral to Varanasi's identity.
Ganga Aarti: A major evening ritual, the Ganga Aarti, is performed at several ghats, drawing crowds of onlookers and participating in the daily cultural events in the city.
Pilgrimage: Varanasi is a key spiritual capital, attracting countless Hindu pilgrims to the river.
The Western Ghats, is a mountain range that runs 1,600 km (990 mi) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The area is one of the world's ten "hottest biodiversity hotspots." It has over 7,402 species of flowering plants, 1,814 species of non-flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species, 6,000 insects species, and 290 freshwater fish species. It is likely that many undiscovered species live in the Western Ghats. At least 325 globally threatened species occur in the Western Ghats. The biodiversity found here rivals that of the Amazon Basin.
Source: Wiki
P1150942 - Red-whiskered bulbul - Size - 20 cm
# 002
At - Silent Valley National Park - Western Ghats
The red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird found in Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves.
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The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements. Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas like Scindias, Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on the tier above the water's edge".
The Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and probably the oldest ghat of Varanasi located on the Ganges, close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
It is believed that Brahma created this ghat to welcome Shiva and sacrificed ten horses during the Dasa-Ashwamedha yajna performed there. Above and adjacent to this ghat, there are also temples dedicated to Sulatankesvara, Brahmesvara, Varahesvara, Abhaya Vinayaka, Ganga (the Ganges), and Bandi Devi, which are all important pilgrimage sites. A group of priests performs "Agni Pooja" (Sanskrit: "Worship of Fire") daily in the evening at this ghat as a dedication to Shiva, Ganga, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the entire universe. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
The Manikarnika Ghat is the Mahasmasana, the primary site for Hindu cremation in the city. Adjoining the ghat, there are raised platforms that are used for death anniversary rituals. According to a myth, it is said that an earring of Shiva or his wife Sati fell here. Fourth-century Gupta period inscriptions mention this ghat. However, the current ghat as a permanent riverside embankment was built in 1302 and has been renovated at least three times throughout its existence.
The Jain Ghat is believed to birthplace of Suparshvanatha (7th Tirthankara) and Parshvanatha (23rd tirthankara). The Jain Ghat or Bachraj Ghat is a Jain Ghat and has three Jain Temples located on the banks of the River. It is believed that the Jain Maharajas used to own these ghats. Bachraj Ghat has three Jain temples near the river's banks, and one them is a very ancient temple of Tirthankara Suparswanath.
Cremation activities at Harishchandra Ghat, the smaller of the two main burning ghats of Varanasi, during an afternoon boat ride on the Ganges, Varanasi, India.
Early morning, pilgrims, sadhus, women and children, in short, all souls can go walk on the ghats, the stairs down to the Ganges to perform their ablutions and so purify themselves in the sacred river.
They often carry with them a container so to levy some nectar and water of the Ganges and statues and lingams (phallic stone, symbolic representation of Shiva) scattered in the holy city.
P1150557 - Peninsular Rock Agama (subadult)
# 070
At - Gingee Fort - Eastern Ghats.
The Peninsular rock agama or South Indian rock agama, (Psammophilus dorsalis) - is a common species of agama found on rocky hills in south India. An allied species, Psammophilus blanfordanus, is found in the Eastern Ghats, but north of the range of this species. (wikipedia)
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"But who will watch my lilies, When their blossoms open white? By day the sun shall be sentry, And the moon and the stars by night!"
~ Bayard Taylor
The Pink-striped Trumpet Lily, also called the Milk and Wine Lily. This is a low maintenance plant that produces lovely, striped, lily-like flowers and is often found growing wild in the Western Ghats. The stalk stands about 20 inches above the long leaves and holds multiple blooms at a time. Not much is known about this plant.
Varanasi or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres (200 mi) to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh.[28] Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th-century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th-century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
Varanasi is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres (200 mi) to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh. Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der Ghats
Als besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".[
Cremation activities at Harishchandra Ghat, the smaller of the two main burning ghats of Varanasi, during an afternoon boat ride on the Ganges, Varanasi, India.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements. Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas like Scindias, Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on the tier above the water's edge".
Varanasi is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres (200 mi) to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh. Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
Varanasi or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres (200 mi) to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh.[28] Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th-century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th-century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsINDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsAls besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
The Ramnagar Fort is a fortification in Ramnagar, Varanasi, India. It is located near the Ganga River on its eastern bank, opposite to the Tulsi Ghat. The sandstone structure was built in the Mughal style in 1750 by Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh. At present, the fort is not in a good shape. It has been the home of Kashi Naresh since the eighteenth century. The current king and the resident of the fort is Anant Narayan Singh, who is also known as the Maharaja of Varanasi even though this royal title has been abolished since 1971
Varanasi, or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres (200 mi) to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name in the first millenium BCE. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh. Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
Als besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
Varanasi or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh.[28] Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th-century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th-century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsAls besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsINDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsAls besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
Cremation activities at Harishchandra Ghat, the smaller of the two main burning ghats of Varanasi, during an afternoon boat ride on the Ganges, Varanasi, India.
At Ahilya Bai Ghat looking north towards Dashashwamedh Ghat, the central main ghat in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
He is probably India's greatest Ambassador, the versatile and extremely popular Bollywood Actor Aamir Khan. He is here as part of the Toronto International Film Festival as he is acting in the movie Dhobi Ghat produced by R K Rao, his wife. It follows the story of an American Indian woman who returns to India and ends up in a fling with a Painter ( Aamir Khan) and they both share the same dhobi ( laundry guy). BTW the desi American is a photographer and wants to take shots in Dhobi Ghat ( the Laundry Area) and hence the movie explores class in India thru her relationship with Aamir and the dhobi. This is Kiran Rao's debut as a director.
I will be watching 3 films ( 2 which are likely not mainstream and one that will likely make it) I could not get tickets to Dhobi Ghat as they sold out quickly. So I will wait for the CD.
The ones I will be watching are:
1. Autumn ( India) Based on events and the conflict in Kashmir ( a sombre movie)
tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/autumn
2. Microphone ( Egypt) Based on a guy who returns to Alexandria and has a falling out with his girlfriend and discovers Egypt's alternative music scene.
tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/microphone
3. West is West ( UK) The sequel to East is East from 1999. This movie updates the Khan family in the UK. Now the time to look for a bride in Punjab Pakistan has arrived. The movie explores, Indo UK culture, racism, the Pakistani disapora issues etc. Definitely FUN !
Varanasi or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. The city has a syncretic tradition of Islamic artisanship that underpins its religious tourism. Located in the middle-Ganges valley in the southeastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi lies on the left bank of the river. It is 692 kilometres to the southeast of India's capital New Delhi and 320 kilometres (200 mi) to the southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It lies 121 kilometres downstream of Prayagraj, where the confluence with the Yamuna river is another major Hindu pilgrimage site.
Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha's first sermon there in the fifth century BCE. In the 8th century, Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi. Tulsidas wrote his Awadhi language epic, the Ramcharitmanas, a Bhakti movement reworking of the Sanskrit Ramayana, in Varanasi. Several other major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir and Ravidas. In the 16th century, Rajput nobles in the service of the Mughal emperor Akbar, sponsored work on Hindu temples in the city in an empire-wide architectural style. In 1740, Benares Estate, a zamindari estate, was established in the vicinity of the city in the Mughal Empire's semi-autonomous province of Awadh. Under the Treaty of Faizabad, the East India Company acquired Benares city in 1775. The city became a part of the Benares Division of British India's Ceded and Conquered Provinces in 1805, the North-Western Provinces in 1836, United Provinces in 1902, and of the Republic of India's state of Uttar Pradesh in 1950.
Silk weaving, carpets, crafts and tourism employ a significant number of the local population, as do the Banaras Locomotive Works and Bharat Heavy Electricals. The city is known worldwide for its many ghats—steps leading down the steep river bank to the water—where pilgrims perform rituals. Of particular note are the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, the last two being where Hindus cremate their dead. The Hindu genealogy registers at Varanasi are kept here. Among the notable temples in Varanasi are the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, and the Durga Temple.
The city has long been an educational and musical centre: many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in the city, and it was the place where the Benares gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed. In the 20th-century, the Hindi-Urdu writer Premchand and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan were associated with the city. India's oldest Sanskrit college, the Benares Sanskrit College, was founded by Jonathan Duncan, the resident of the East India Company in 1791. Later, education in Benares was greatly influenced by the rise of Indian nationalism in the late 19th-century. Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College in 1898. In 1916, she and Madan Mohan Malviya founded the Banaras Hindu University, India's first modern residential university. Kashi Vidyapith was established in 1921, a response to Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement.
INDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsINDIEN, Varanasi (Benares) frühmorgends entlang der GhatsAls besonders erstrebenswert gilt es für strenggläubige Hindus, in Varanasi im Ganges zu baden, sowie dort einmal zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden. Entlang des Flusses ziehen sich kilometerlange, stufenartige Uferbefestigungen hin, die Ghats, an denen auf der einen Seite die Gläubigen im Wasser des für sie heiligen Flusses baden und wenige Meter weiter die Leichen der Verstorbenen verbrannt werden. Die Asche streut man anschließend ins Wasser. Ein Bad im Ganges soll von Sünden reinigen, in Varanasi zu sterben und verbrannt zu werden, ist der hinduistischen Mythologie zufolge, der Ausbruch aus dem ständigen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburt.
The Ghats in Varanasi are world-renowned embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. The ghats are an integral complement to the Hindu concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical, and supernatural elements.[90] Varanasi has at least 84 ghats, most of which are used for bathing by pilgrims and spiritually significant Hindu puja ceremony, while a few are used exclusively as Hindu cremation sites. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat, and the Harishchandra Ghat, where Hindus cremate their dead. Many ghats are associated with Hindu legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were constructed under the patronage of the Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas. Most are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular tourist attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats in Varanasi enhance the riverfront with a multitude of shrines, temples, and palaces built "tier on tier above the water's edge".
Varanasi- a melting potpourri of different elements which somehow manage to blend and harmonise. The serene Ganga, the hustle and bustle of the ghats , the narrow by lanes, the chaotic traffic. the sadhus and pilgrims, street food, hash and bhang, Pandits and Pandas are all there to make a visit to Banaras an unforgettable experience.
Every evening, right after sunset, the Ganga Aarti (ritual of offering prayer to the Ganges river) is held at Dashashwamedh Ghat (the main ghat in Varanasi on the Ganges River).
Several priests would be performing this ritual by carrying deepams (oil lamps) and moving it up and down in a rhythmic tune of bhajans (Hindu devotional songs and often of ancient origin).
When I took this photo, there were seven priests and I walked up and down the area where I was before deciding on the particular face I wanted to photograph.
ps: I actually have ONE gallery called WHY NOT???
The obsessively chosen and truly excellent photos there are attention catching, nicely framed, aesthetically pleasing, sharp and clean portraits of children from all over the world.
Please visit the gallery and enjoy.