Tag Archives: low light In the ancient Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the sacred river Ganga, there is a ghat (set of steps down to the river) that is said to to have been built in the first century BC by the legendary King Vikramaditya. Called Har Ki Pauri, which means the feet of Lord […]  The Ganges River, known more commonly as the Ganga Mata (Mother Ganges), is revered in Hindu worship and culture. More than just a river, she is the embodiment of a goddess whose purity cleanses one’s sins: bathing in her waters releases the faithful from samsara, the endless cycle of death and rebirth. All along the banks […]  Sunrise is the beginning of something … The pilgrims on the Varanasi ghats along the Ganges are absolutely absorbed in their preparations of offerings to the Mother Ganga, in their ritual ablutions in the sacred waters, or in their pre-dawn meditations. Time loses all meaning. Pilgrims have been travelling here to bathe in the Ganges River […]  Bad lighting and dancing shadows lend an eerie air of animation to the figures on the walls all around us. Intricately carved pillars and beautifully restored wall-reliefs contrast with uneven stones and rough scaffolding: it truly is surreal walking after dark through structures built over 2000 years ago. My Nile river boat was rafted up […]  Candlelight is a powerful symbol in many spiritual practices around the world. In Christianity, the candle stands for light and the spirit of truth in the darkness of life; in Hinduism, light is a strong symbol of hope and prosperity; in Buddhism, burning candles evoke the state of impermanence and change, and represent the enlightenment […] |
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