If someone asked me to showcase India to the maximum extent possible in a span no longer sixty minutes, I would not think twice but ask them to take a walk along the ghats of Varanasi. The three kilometer stretch from Assi Ghat to Dasaswamedh — a long series of steps leading to the waters on the left bank of Ganges — is a compressed version of India’s diversity & unity, chaos & order, living & dying, indulgence & thrift and every other trait that the country exhibits. It is also a showcase deeply religious and ritualistic nature of its pious people.
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I have had a good fortune to visit Varanasi in several occasions, walk its ghats a countless number of times and make long conversations with its inhabitants and visitors. Each visit, each conversation and each observation has exposed me to ideas and thoughts that are new and unheard to me, but was always a part of this city that has remained witness to the flowing waters of Ganga for millenniums.
While a lot of my gallivanting in the ghats has happened with my camera, an equal amount of time was spent without it, trying to understand the people and pilgrims of Varanasi, making an attempt to identify myself with its crowd and yet never been able to immerse fully into its flow.
Here is a collection of images from these ghats, from Assi to Dasaswamedh, where Ganga has been flowing since eternity and will continue to do so until we are long gone.
Mendicants walking on the ghats of Varanasi
Washing and drying clothes on one of the dhobi-ghats
One of the many small temples located along the ghats.
Pilgrims performing Shraddha Karma on the ghats.
Life of the ghats.
Preparations for the daily evening Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi.
Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi.
Women floating lamps in the river after the evening Aarti
Bright sodium lamps lighting up the ghats of Varanasi as the day ends.
Photography Tour to Varanasi
Darter is conducting a four day photography tour to Varanasi from November. The tour will be lead by expert travel photographer Arun Bhat, who made the images seen above. See complete details of the tour and sign up – Ancient Tradition of Varanasi – A Travel Photography Tour