Every evening, as dusk descends, the Ganga Aarti is performed at the three
holy cities of Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Varanasi in India. It's a very
powerful and uplifting spiritual ritual.
The Haridwar Ganga Aarti is held at Har-ki-Pauri ghat. The name of this famous
ghat literally means "Feet of the Lord". A footprint on a stone wall there is
said to belong to Lord Vishnu. In terms of spiritual importance, Har-ki-Pauri
is considered to be equivalent to Dashashwamedh Ghat where the aarti takes
place in Varanasi. Legend has it that some nectar (amrit) landed there
after falling from a pot carried by the celestial bird Garuda.
The Ganga Aarti at Haridwar is possibly the most interactive of the three main
Ganga aartis in India and will have the deepest appeal to pilgrims,
particularly those with an Indian background. It has a location of spiritual
significance the same as the Varanasi Ganga Aarti but isn't as flamboyant and
staged. Yet, it's quite the spiritual circus: people, pandits, babas, idols of
various gods, loudspeakers, clanging bells, singing, incense, flowers, and
flames! All this combines to create a very sensory experience. Some people say
that it's too commercial, crowded, and noisy.
|
A large number of people head to the celebration site.
|
|
Along the way there are sales stalls.
In the background, on the left side, we can see the Hathi Wala Pul
bridge. In the center is the Ganga Lahari Haridwar hotel.
|
|
Selling floral floats with lamps (Diyas).
Small floats made of leaves, have flowers and a lamp inside. These small
floats, with the lamp lit, are launched down the Ganges River.
|
|
Bathing in the Ganges River.
Moving water, as in a river, is considered purifying in Hindu culture
because it is thought to both absorb impurities and take them away.
-
What the Ganges removes, however, is not necessarily physical dirt,
but symbolic dirt; it wipes away the sins of the bather, not just of
the present, but of a lifetime.
-
See more at
Ganges, The Purifying Ganges - Wikipedia.
|
|
Cows roam freely.
Hinduism specifically considers the zebu (Bos indicus) to be
sacred. Respect for the lives of animals including cattle, diet in
Hinduism and vegetarianism in India are based on the Hindu ethics.
|
|
Renunciant sitting on the side of the path.
Sannyasa, sometimes spelled Sanyasa or Sanyasi (for the person), is life
of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four
life stages known as Ashramas, with the first three being Brahmacharya
(bachelor student), Grihastha (householder) and Vanaprastha (forest
dweller, retired).
-
Sannyasa is traditionally conceptualized for men or women in late
years of their life, but young brahmacharis have had the choice to
skip the householder and retirement stages, renounce worldly and
materialistic pursuits and dedicate their lives to spiritual pursuits.
-
Sannyasa, a form of asceticism marked by renunciation of material
desires and prejudices, is represented by a state of disinterest in
and detachment from material life, whose purpose is spending one's
life in peaceful, spiritual pursuits.
-
See more at
Sannyasa - Wikipedia.
|
|
Sacred tree with Shiva lingam.
In the Dharmic (Indian-origin) religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism and Sikhism, the ecology, such as trees, rivers, fauna, and
mountains, is sacred and revered objects of worship.
-
There are numerous sacred groves of India. In Hindu belief, the
Kalpavriksha is a wish granting tree.
-
In addition to the Panchvati trees, other sacred trees include species
such as the Akshayavat (sacred fig tree), Banana leaf, Kadamba,
Parijata, and Sandalwood.
-
The Bodhi Tree (banyan) is specially revered, and there are numerous
large banyan trees in India.
-
Matsya Purana, a Hindu text, has a Sanskrit language hymn
(shloka), which explains the importance of reverence of ecology
in Hinduism. It states, "A pond equals ten wells, a reservoir equals
ten ponds, while a son equals ten reservoirs, and a tree equals ten
sons."
-
See more at
Sacred tree, Indic religions - Wikipedia.
|
|
Pilgrim woman performing rituals with a lit lamp.
|
|
Statue of Kali.
Kali or Kalika is a major Hindu goddess associated with time, change,
creation, power, destruction and death in Shaktism.
-
Kali's earliest appearance is when she emerged from Durga. The goddess
is stated to destroy evil in order to defend the innocent.
-
Over time, Kali has been worshipped by devotional movements and
Tantric sects variously as the Divine Mother, Mother of the Universe,
Principal energy Adi Shakti. Shakta Hindu and Tantric sects
additionally worship her as the ultimate reality or Brahman.
-
She is also seen as the divine protector and the one who bestows
liberation (moksha).
-
See more at
Kali - Wikipedia.
|
|
Crossing the Shiv Setu Bridge.
When we cross this bridge, we are crossing the Ganges River from east to
west.
|
|
Har Ki Pauri Pier seen from the Shiv Setu Bridge.
Har Ki Pauri, meaning the feet of Lord Vishnu (Hari), is a ghat on the
banks of the river Ganga and landmark of the Hindu holy city of
Haridwar.
-
It is believed that it is the precise spot where the Ganga leaves the
mountains and enters the plains.
-
The ghat is on the west bank of Ganga canal through which the Ganga is
diverted just to the north.
-
See more at
Har Ki Pauri - Wikipedia.
|
|
Pilgrims resting next to the bridge railing.
|
|
Arriving at Har Ki Pauri.
Literally, "Har" means "God", "Ki" means " 's " and "Pauri" means
"steps". Lord Vishnu is believed to have visited the Brahmakund in Har
Ki Pauri in the Vedic times.
|
|
Har Ki Pauri.
Har Ki Pauri is also the area where thousands of pilgrims converge and
the festivities commence during the Kumbha Mela, which takes place every
twelve years, and the Ardh Kumbh Mela, which takes place every six years
and the Punjabi festival of Vaisakhi, a harvest festival occurring every
year in the month of April.
|
|
Ganga Mata Temple.
Ganga is the personification of the river Ganges, who is worshipped by
Hindus as the goddess of purification and forgiveness.
-
Known by many names, Ganga is often depicted as a fair, beautiful
woman, riding a divine crocodile-like creature called the makara.
-
In Hinduism, Ganga is seen as a mother to humanity. Pilgrims immerse
the ashes of their kin in the river Ganga, which is considered by them
to bring the souls (purified spirits) closer to the liberation
(moksha) from the cycle of life and death.
-
See more at
Ganga (goddess) - Wikipedia.
|
|
Kedarnath Temple.
The red temple, on the left side of the photo, is the Kedarnath temple.
Kedarnath is seen as a homogenous form of Shiva, the 'Lord of
Kedarkhand'.
-
The name "Kedarnath" means "the Lord of the Field". It is derived from
the Sanskrit words kedara ("field") and natha ("lord"). The text Kashi
Kedara Mahatmya states that it is so-called because "the crop of
liberation" grows here.
-
See more at
Kedarnath - Wikipedia.
|
|
The crowd waits for the ritual to begin.
|
|
Some people take the opportunity to purify themselves in the
river.
|
|
More people purifying themselves in the river.
|
|
The Clock Tower on the Malviya Dwip at Har Ki Pauri.
|
|
Shiva Statue and Maa Ganga Statue by the Ganges, across Har Ki
Pauri.
The Shiva statue is located in Swami Vivekanand Park. The statue of Maa
Ganga is located in the middle of the Ganges river.
|
|
Floral floats with lamps (Diyas).
The evening prayer (Aarti) at dusk offered to Goddess Ganga at Har Ki
Pauri (steps of God Hara or Shiva) is an enchanting experience for any
visitor.
-
A spectacle of sound and colour is seen when, after the ceremony,
pilgrims float Diyas (floral floats with lamps) and incense on the
river, commemorating their deceased ancestors.
|
|
Ganga Aarti.
Each evening at sunset, the priests of Har ki Pauri perform the –
Ganga Aarti – over an old tradition.
-
Lights are set on the water to drift downstream. A large number of
people gather on both banks of the ganga river to sing Ganga Aarti
praises.
-
At that time the priests hold large Fire Bowls in their hands, rungs
bells at the temples situated at the ghat and chants are chanted by
the priests.
-
People flick Diya (made of leaves and flowers) into the river Ganges
as a symbol of hopes and wishes.
-
See more at
Har Ki Pauri, Ganga Aarti - Wikipedia.
|
|
Purification by fire.
The priests pass through the crowd to purify people with the sacred
fire.
-
Arti is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire
rituals, or homa/yajna.
-
In the traditional arti ceremony, the flower represents the
earth (solidity), the water and accompanying handkerchief correspond
with the water element (liquidity), the ghee or oil lamp represents
the fire component (heat), the peacock fan conveys the precious
quality of air (movement), and the yak-tail fan represents the subtle
form of ether (space).
-
The incense represents a purified state of mind, and one's
"intelligence" is offered through the adherence to rules of timing and
order of offerings.
-
Thus, one's entire existence and all facets of material creation are
symbolically offered to God via the arti ceremony.
-
See more at
Arti (Hinduism) - Wikipedia.
|
|
An effigy of Ravana goes up in flames (Ravana Dahan).
Ravana is a multi-headed rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the
chief antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
-
Effigies of Ravana are burned on Vijayadashami in many places
throughout India to symbolize Rama's triumph over evil.
-
Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major
Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Navaratri. The
festival which typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of
September and October.
-
See more at
Ravana - Wikipedia
and
Vijayadashami - Wikipedia.
|
See also
Source
Location
