People after Dark in Haridwar : The Ganga Aarti (1) at Har Ki Pauri, India

Har Ki Pauri
Every night on Har Ki Pauri – one of the most sacred ghats in Haridwar – the magnificent Ganga Aarti is performed.

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 of this long river, from the source at Gaumukh in the Himalaya, to the mouth on the Bay of Bengal, Hindu faithful seek to bathe in the waters to rid themselves of sins. They also pay their respects to the Mother, making offerings or pujas (ceremonial worship), and often carry water home again in copper pots for use in rituals. When loved ones are dying, it is customary  to place a few drops of Ganga water in the mouth of the departing. 

Some places along the river’s long banks have additional spiritual significance – and one of these is the ancient holy city of Haridwar. There, whole temples are devoted to the worship of the river/Goddess, and an aarti to her is performed twice a day – at sunrise and sunset.

An aarti (arti or arati) is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, often part of a puja, in which light is ritually waved in veneration of deities. This light – usually in the form of a flame – symbolically removes rātrī, or darkness. The evening Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri, one of the most sacred ghats in Haridwar, involves a number of priests addressing the Mother and leading prayers and chanted mantras in reverence. They blow conch shells, ring bells, bang brass cymbals, and wave lighted multi-tiered brass lamps, all in a traditional ceremony which lasts about 45 minutes.

I was travelling with photographer Karl Grobl and local guide DV Singh; they got us into a great vantage point across the water from the aarti. I was as much impressed by the welcoming friendliness of the people around me as I was by the ritual on the opposite shore.

Join me for some environmental portraits from the ghats in Haridwar.

Haridwar Street
It is a short walk from our hotel to the ghats on the Ganges.

Jewellery Salesman
Our walk takes us through narrow lanes with brightly lit stores selling jewellery in gold and semi-precious stones.

Young Woman in the Gold

Women in the Street
Many of the pilgrims I meet have travelled a long way; they gather outside the shops to admire the jewellery – and possibly add to their collection of bangles.

Man in a Cap

Bridge over the Ganges
We walk across the Shiv Setu bridge to get to our vantage point on the opposite bank.

Flowers on the Water
Flowers are swept away underneath us. Any time of day or night, people say prayers and offer gifts to the Ganga Ma.

Hindu Priests on Har Ki Pauri
It is still early – the aarti takes place at sunrise and sundown – but the ghat is already a hive of activity.

Priests on the Steps
With spectators either side on the stairs of the ghat, the priests launch into their litany of chanted prayers.

Woman in Red
Our side of the river is quite crowded, but everyone is in a good humour …

Woman and her Husband
… and there are plenty of smiles to welcome the strangers in their midst.

Women in the Crowd

Worshipers on the Ghat
As the light falls, our ghat becomes quite crowded.

“Om Jai Gange Mata”
When the traditional song venerating the Mother Ganges starts, everyone joins in, …

The aarti in Haridwar was completely different from those that I had watched some years prior in Varanasi (see: Light the Darkness and  Life and Death on the Ghats) – a further illustration that worship can be done in any manner, as long as it is mindful.

Until next time, 

ॐ

Pictures: 18November2013