Pages

Wednesday 18 January 2012

A date with The Ganges


The Ganges is a holy river that has always been a centre of Hindu mythology. It's not just a river but an embodiment of the purest form of water present on the earth.  It has been mentioned in our holy books that she travels with Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, as a partner in the form of water. She also harmonises with Lord Vishnu who is another powerful God in Hindu mythology. Lord Shiva, perhaps the most powerful of all Gods, is also known as Gangadhara i.e. carrier of The Ganges, depicted as a small gush of water rising from his dreadlocks.  She is known to cure many dreaded diseases; taking a dip in The Holy Ganges shall alleviate one from all kinds of miseries. The Ganges is believed to absorb all kinds of human impurities and washes away all of our sins. Her banks are the most sought after places for burning dead Hindu bodies as it's presumed that it leads to Nirvana or salvation. Perhaps one of the strong reasons that she is always referred as Ganga Maata (Mother Ganges).









These young priests, in above photographs, offer daily prayers to The Ganges, commonly known as Ganga aarti. It’s almost an hour long process and thousands of people gather on the Ghats to witness this timeless, mystical ritual. If you are planning to visit Varanasi, this customary observance should be attended at any cost. I can bet my money on the fact that it’s one of the most fascinating things to watch in Varanasi. 

38 comments:

  1. Very Nice Pictures. Its true that Ganga-Aarti is most fascinating, every evening at Dashashvamedh ghat. Nice pictures, where were you standing ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Left side, mostly. I changed my position a couple of times, descended to the last step of the ghat as well but found crowd everywhere. Getting a good angle was the greatest challenge.

      Delete
  2. Anshul fabulous pics...loved the power of the pics..something so strong that it draws you to watch even more closely :) loved them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sulagna. I stood awestruck while seeing Ganga aarti. The whole atmosphere becomes magical, something that you'll experience when you see it live.

      Delete
  3. Very classical pics... loved them... :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. the pics have a touch of devinity all over! dude! seriously i worship your PP !!! But i would have liked sme more sharpness in all the pictures. But the colors and the holiness in those pics stoned me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do agree with your view on sharpness of the images. However, shooting in low light conditions with smoke around is always challenging. Will try to do better next time.
      As far as PP is concerned, I saw that pigeon pic. That is something that I need to learn from you :)

      Delete
  5. Last one and the one before that
    brilliant.. mind blowing :)
    Deepak

    ReplyDelete
  6. beautifully captured! very subdued yet powerful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Woooooooooow... so well captured..!

    I wud be glad if u visit my blog
    auankitha.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. You brought the ghat alive with your camera and living through your words:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Need improvement on words, wrote something after 6 months. I guess the curse is over ;)

      Delete
  9. Pictures are beautifully captured. And Nice piece of info that goes along with the pic :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bagya. Usually I don't like writing about my photographs but kinda felt necessary this time. :)

      Delete
  10. Given the fire in the pics, and the light, I think these pics are brilliant, and they capture the drama and the motion beautifully. Thanks for sharing the images and the background. Have always longed to visit Varanasi, and these pics have made it all the more tempting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Subho. If these pictures have compelled you to visit Varanasi, I guess my objective is achieved. :)

      Delete
  11. As I said before, looks stunning. Very vibrant. Rishi

    ReplyDelete
  12. Amazed at this culture, wonder why I haven't known about this before. Very good pictures,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would love it more if you see it live. :)

      Delete
  13. Wow! intense the pictures are...the red makes them more powerful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ana. Of course, red is dominant and the best thing about these photographs. :)

      Delete
  14. Great buddy,for long time I wanna go to Banares to capture its beauty, but not happened till...
    nice captures

    ReplyDelete
  15. Finally i managed to get in .... good work dude, indeed therez scope for improvement

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Low light photography has always troubled me. Will try to click better next time. Thanks for your encouraging words!

      Delete
  16. Wow! A few months back, I read about a friend's visit to Varanasi; that coupled with your beautiful pictures, makes me want to see this place.

    ReplyDelete
  17. i saw Ganga aarti in Haridwar as a child...still have vivid memories...loved these pics..

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love this serie. Strange light although, did you photoshop it?

    ReplyDelete