On the steps of Varanasi

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

WORLDWIDE | Saturday, 9 October 2010 | Views [267]

Old and young live together on the steps of Varanasi. Space is limited here and everything is dominated by the steps giving access to the so important river. Kids wanting to practice cricket, the national sport of India, therefore have to find a quiet area on the steps to do so.

The Ghats are the heart of Varanasi and it is here where life takes place. Thousands of people – pilgrims, locals and tourists alike – crowd the steps from early morning until late night. A street vendor is trying to make his humble living by selling tea to the people passing by, mostly ignoring him though.

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„Jai Ganga Mata ki“ – „Long live Mother Ganges“. As night falls, the Ganga Mahaarti takes place on Dasashwameda Ghat: a daily religious-cultural ceremony during which seven young priests pay tribute to the river Ganges by presenting sacrificial offerings. Many participants are certainly Hindu pilgrims. Nevertheless it is difficult to judge in how much this is still a religious ritual or has become a tourist attraction.

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On the steps of Varanasi

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

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