Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2022/12/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]What a beautiful set. Thank you for these sketches of life. Ric > On Dec 22, 2022, at 10:03 PM, Jayanand Govindaraj via LUG <lug at > leica-users.org> wrote: > > Neela & I had gone on a trip to Bandhavgarh National Park, followed by the > temple town of Khajuraho, and finally Varanasi on the River Ganges, one of > the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and the high seat of > Hinduism. To start with a few impressions of Varanasi, mostly seen from > boats on the river, as the hotel we were staying was situated on the river, > and not accessible by vehicles - only by boat, or on foot - so a lot of our > movement was on boats: > > Ghats are access points on any river/water body. There are 84 ghats in all > on this stretch of the Ganges - some a few years years old, and some > thousands of years old. This is a view from the terrace of our hotel, which > was situated on the river at Darbhanga Ghat: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-050-Edit.jpg.html > > The ghats are interconnected, so it is possible to walk from one end to > anther on the rivers edge, taking in sights like this one - shaving of > one's hair is a common act of piety and penance in Hinduism: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/untitled-20221209-896-Edit.jpg.html > > Varanasi is probably the holiest city in Hinduism, and the main temple here > is the Kasi Viswanath Mandir (the tower of which is visible just to the > left of the central lamp post in the photograph). As it is also Prime > Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, it is getting a much > overdue facelift, including this modern, clean and efficient access to the > temple from the river: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-184-Edit.jpg.html > > The Ganga Aarti is a photogenic, daily tourist spectacle of a tradition > thousands of years old, offering prayers to the goddess Ganga, after whom > the river is named, on the banks of the river, at Dasashwamedha Ghat, by a > dozen priests. It is about an hour long, and these are some views of the > ceremony from the river - a variety of props are used - conchs, lamps of > different types and sizes, incense, fans made of reeds as well as peacock > feathers, among others: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-199-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-151-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-181-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-185-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-2-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-591-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-732-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > These two young men seem to be more interested in their smartphones rather > in the spectacle going on: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-206-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > The floating of small lamps in the Ganges is a ritual done to pray for good > health and well being of your loved ones: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-104-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-095-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > In Hinduism, the belief is that all your sins are washed away by dying in > Varanasi, and being cremated on the banks of the River Ganges, so this is a > constant activity. The main location is Manikarnika Ghat, where multiple > cremations happen 24/7 through the year - here are impressions taken at > sunset, and at night: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/untitled-20221208-881-Edit.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-780-Edit.jpg.html > > Finally , a portrait of a young man I caught while disembarking from a boat > at night, both in B&W and Colour: > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-087-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit+B_amp_W.jpg.html > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-087-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > Please see LARGE. > > Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome > > Cheers > Jayanand > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information