[Leica] Varanasi

[Ric Carter]

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
> 
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