Ganga Arti – Banaras Diaries

The consciousness in Banaras is focussed on two events – Sunrise – when it is time to do the Sunrise Arti, and Sunset – when it is time to do the Sunset Arti.

Everything else that happens in between is minor and only useful to the extent that it sustains life whose most meaningful moment of the day is the Arti.

And while multi-theistic Hindu worship is carried out in the various temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses, the spectacular artis happen at the Ganga river and the important one happens at the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir.

Here are a few glimpses of the Sunset Ganga Arti.

But, the difference between watching these as videos and being there in person is as much as the  difference between words & pictures that explain an Alphonso Mango and the actual taste of that fruit…. it can only be experienced – not conveyed.

But here they are:

Blowing the Conch at the beginning:

The Main Arti

The Last Arti

In my opinion, Banaras holds the essence of spiritual India …and within that it is the Arti that has it all … it is a must visit, an experience to which one must give oneself in order to receive all that it offers.

If life affords a chance, then this is the one single place everyone should go to. And follwo the life lived there.

Let the day begin with the morning arti. And end with the evening arti.

That’s all there is.

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Lighting the lamps for the Arti.

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jm