Evening Sacred Prayer Ceremony
The street of Varanasi are narrow and crowded in the afternoon.
Our tour group walking to Dasawamedh Ghat (steps) for the evening Sacred Prayer Ceremony on the Ganges River.
Some scenes at Dasawamedh Ghat.
Boats on the Ganges River and vendors preparing flowers for the evening ceremony.
We board our boat and head down river to a cremation site where Hindus cremate their dead. As the evening darkness settles in we see the cremation fires burning.
Back at Dasawamedh Ghat the Prayer Ceremony has begun as boatloads of people watch from the Ganges River.
A view of the boats and people watching from the Ganges River. After the ceremony we pass many sacred cows on the streets near Dasawamedh Ghat.
Back at our hotel it's early to bed since we will be up early for sunrise ceremonies on the Ganges.
Sunrise Ceremonies on the Ganges
Back at Dasawamedh Ghat for sunrise ceremonies where Hindus perform their rituals and offer prayers to the rising sun. A drink of hot tea at Dasawamedh Ghat.
Prayer services start at Dasawamedh Ghat before sunrise.
A morning fog hangs over the Ganges and the street lights create an eerie glow over the Ghat.
We board our boat and head into the dark, fog shrouded Ganges River. From the river we can only see a couple of the street lights at Dasawamedh Ghat
As the fog starts to lift we can see the people gather at the edge of the river.
We pass flower covered boats as we head up the Ganges River.
People bathing and swimming in the Ganges River.
Our boat passes a school boat as we continue up the river in the fog.
People washing clothes in the Ganges in the early morning fog. Clothes are dried on the steps leading to the river.
Our boat docks at a cremation site where goats roam on the stacks of wood used for the cremation fires. A couple of dog sleep on the warm stones near the cremation ashes.
Ashes from the prior night's cremation. Two young girls and a dog with the cremation site in the background.
As we head back to the hotel for breakfast we pass some of the morning street activity.
Sarnath
The Archeological site at Sarnath
Dhamek Stupa is said to mark the spot of a deer park where the Buddha gave the first sermon to his five disciples after attaining enlightenment. The Dhamek Stupa was built in 500AD and is 128 feet high and 93 feet in diameter.
A sign requesting pilgrims not to place gold foil on the Stupa.
Mulagandha Kuti Vihar is a Buddhist Temple located close to Dhamek Stupa
Link to our next stop, Kathmandu
2 comments:
Wow! Amazing place.
would you have preferred to stay on the river?
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