[Leica] Varanasi

[Jayanand Govindaraj]

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