Ganga Aarti at Varanasi - a photo on Flickriver

            Ganga Aarti is a spectacular evening ceremony that takes place everyday at the Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi (India) at the bank of the holy river Ganga. This ceremony is attended by thousands of visitors everyday and considered as one of the most colourful event of India.

A group of young priests dressed up with silky robes conduct this ceremony. The Aarti (puja offerings) starts with the chanting of hymns and prayers in the praise of the Holy River. After that, the priests perform different offerings in choreographed manner from their respective platforms which include - blowing of conch shells, burning of incense sticks and waving them in an elaborate synchronized manner in all the directions with their right hand, while ringing the ceremonial prayer bell with the left hand, circular waving of large multi-tiered oil lamps and a big brass camphor lamp, with a dramatic snake hood in clockwise directions, to and fro in a synchronized manner, and waving of the Peacock’s feather and Yak-tail fan in similar choreographed manner. The priests end the ceremony by pouring a bowl of water into the river. Upon which, the devotees let go of thousands of small oil lamps with flowers on a leaf to float on the river that would look like numerous stars on the water. 

The whole ceremony is a spectacle of sound and colour and takes around 45 minutes. The devotional chanting, the pulsating sound of ceremonial bells, gongs and drums, the circular waving of large lamps, the heavy air from the burning incense, the floating floral lamps, all create a magical, enchanted atmosphere that makes for a dramatic sensory experience well worth experiencing.

Images of India

Taken on: January 12, 2018

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Sets appears in: • Samsung 85mm f/1.4 i-Function Lens

Camera: SAMSUNG NX1, f/4.0, 1/100 sec, 85mm (=130mm), ISO 2500 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	SAMSUNG NX1
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.01 sec (1/100)
Focal Length:	85mm (35mm equivalent: 130mm)
ISO:	2500
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	PaintShop Pro 18.00
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