Page 213 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

V AR ANASI  211

Rituals Performed in the Ganges
Although there are over 700 temples in Varanasi,
none is more sacred than the river itself. The Ganges is
worshipped as a living goddess, with the power to cleanse
all earthly sins. Daily baths in her waters are advised by
Hindu scriptures to prepare for the soul’s final journey to
liberation. Offerings of flowers and diyas floating down
the river are a common and very pretty sight. A Ritual Dip
Thousands come to Varanasi
everyday, to bathe and pay
obeisance to the Ganges.
Evening Aarti
The daily prayers (aarti)
at dawn and dusk,
serve as salutations to
the river. Oil lamps are Wayside Shrine
offered and bells rung A widow clad in
while sacred mantras, white assembles
are chanted. flowers, incense and
Ganges water in a
small brass container,
for paying homage
at a wayside shrine.
Ganga Mahal Ghat was Akharas
also built by the king
of Gwalior in the early The city’s akharas, or
wrestling arenas, are
19th century.
famous. Men live and
train at these centres
full time, as part of
Bhonsle Ghat their tutelage under
a guru.

Mehta Ghat Aurangzeb’s mosque,
built on the site of a
Sankatha Ghat Hindu temple that
was destroyed, is a
grand structure that
dominates the skyline.

Jatar Ghat

Panchaganga Ghat
This ghat marks the mythical meeting place of five Adi Keshava Ghat
sacred rivers, and has numerous images of the
Hanuman, the Monkey God, five river goddesses – Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati,
at Ganga Mahal Ghat Dhutpapa and Kirana.

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