Nighttime Aarti Ceremony In Varanasi

One of the not-to-be-missed events in Varanasi is a lovely nighttime ceremony at the Dasashwamedh Ghat. The beautiful show is every night at sunset: a half dozen or so holy men making a prayer through song and show to the river Ganges.

There's a real patina to the ceremony, pots swinging and smoking, costumes and singing. It's impressive and the crowds come out to see the spectacle.

Ladies and gentlemen, the show....

The ghat is packed, both on the steps and on boats in the water.

A particularly moved spectator.

Tacky tourists and someone more at home, ready to place a pooja in the Ganges.

One of the performers. More crowds, but room for a sleeping dog.

Another audience angle.

Meanwhile, other things are happening at night in Varanasi. A flower seller with a mysterious figure in an entranceway. Ceremonial guards at a wedding reception banquet.

Into The Mist At Varanasi

You have to work for your good light and memorable experience. Up at 5 am, head down to the ghats in Varanasi, and hire a boat to get you out on the Ganges, so you can experience the misty morning and beautiful sunrise.

Don't worry about being alone on the river, it's India. People are bathing at all hours. The early Hindu gets the blessing?

Setting a lighted pooja and a family bathing in the heavy mist.

The light is just starting to emerge, but the crowds have already gathered.

Our captain. One ghat you can guarantee isn't sleeping: the funeral ghat. The smoke is from the several active pyres.

The city, coming through as the mist starts to dissipate.

Hanging At The Ghats In Varanasi

Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India - the holiest of cities for Hindus, who travel to the city on the banks of the Ganges river to bathe in its holy water. All the action is at the ghats in Varanasi. Waves and waves of pilgrims come, navigate the packed old streets and fill the ghats, ready to bathe. There's plenty to see in the sea of humanity.

Ground zero of the ghats, everyone into the river.

Sadhus dot the area, whether catching a nap (nice color coordinated background) or perched like a sentry.

The paint scheme can be busier than the bathing scene.

Organized prayer services abound, either groups or individuals seeking their own pooja.

No, this fuzzy image of a sadhu isn't photo-shopped. Between the ash cover he's applied and the large amounts of smoke from the cannabis he's ingested, he's turned into a ghost.

You can snag a quiet moment at the right time of day, when the sun starts to set. A couple of sadhus tucked into a corner at a ghat.

The end, literally. The funeral ghat. The wood is laid out for the various, already-scheduled funeral pyres.