Varanasi, India - Evening Bazaar & Ganga Arti
After lunch and shopping we didn’t have time to go back to the hotel for a rest as it was time for the evening bazaar walk.
The alleys of Varanasi are just as famous as its temples. Varanasi is a city of winding alleys with bustling markets, each specializing in something. Fabrics, metalware, milk products, snacks, sweetmeats, handicrafts, wedding decorations, temple paraphernalia, bangles and more! We went by many things as Pawan explained what we were seeing.
We took a rickshaw for some of it. On the way to the Ganga where the Ganga aarti was held, Cathy and I bought a couple of earrings.
A huge number of Indians from around the country were there to experience the evening prayer to the Ganga. They walked with such anticipation and determination, and we were caught up in the crowd. They were selling containers of Ganga Holy Water or empty vessels that they could fill with the river water and take back to their homes.
While there are other aarti ceremonies, the most prominent is Dashashwamedh Ghat which is located right next to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The aarti is performed on a stage by seven young priests.
Each is dressed in saffron colored clothes; a kurta and a dhoti, which is
tightly bound with a long towel.
Ganga Aarti is a magnificent, religious and spiritual ceremony of a mesmerizing display of lights, music, and prayers, creating an atmosphere of peace and serenity along the Ghats. The sight of hundreds of glowing diyas (small oil lamps) floating on the river, accompanied by the chanting of mantras and the beating of drums, is truly breathtaking.
Our guide bargained to get us the best spots and we did get front row seats above the crowd below. We took in the hustle and bustle of the crowds of people there. I had wanted a peacock fan and they were selling them below. The seller wouldn't come up, so Cathy goes down and bargains for a fan for her and a fan for me.
It was interesting to watch the ritual of preparing the alters with flower petals. The center one was a different color than the 3 on either side. The one in the center also had a statue of the Goddess Ganga and they decorated it with flowers and such. There were also photos that were decorated with flowers. After the flowers were spread, ladies lighted candles around each alter/platform.
The ceremony starts when a shankh (conch) is blown and the crowd falls silent. The shankh heralds that the aarti is beginning and it draws everyone’s attention. Since the Ganga aarti of Banaras is for the River Ganga, a statue of Goddess Ganga is placed in the center at one of the 7 raised platforms.
With the sound of bells and chants and lighting of incense sticks and diyas, the aarti is carried on.
The priests worship the River Ganga in such a synchronized manner that it makes for a spellbinding sight. They have been doing it in front of thousands of people for years, and the practice and undying devotion make them perfect in what they do. This goes on for about 45 minutes and it is impossible to look away.
After it was over our guide took us on an evening boat ride and down where the bodies were being burned. In the morning we just saw the cleaning out of the ashes and bringing fresh wood. It was a nice experience to do the evening boat ride in comparison to the dawn ride. This one had a motor, so we went faster to get us back to the hotel, but still scenic and slow.
Back at the hotel I dipped my hands into the Ganga mud and rinsed with the water. The guide hung on to me as I still had my shoes on, and I didn't want to wade in. Tom didn’t want to get down there and he wanted to rub my hands to get some of the water. Glad to share. What an incredible experience.
We walked in the entry to the hotel from the riverside and dropped our things and went down for dinner.
Musicians were playing in the courtyard. We had an enjoyable meal listening to the music out in the courtyard.
Dog tired we went up to pack and get to sleep. We had a later start tomorrow for a pickup at 8:00.
The guy from the first day was there to get us and the porters carried our bags on their heads and carried the rest down the narrow street to get to the van.
The driver was there, and he has been great navigating the chaos in the streets and always was pleasant with a smile and a good morning or good night.
Check-in didn’t go smoothly at the airport. The guy questioned why we had two passports (our expired passports have our 10-year India visas and then we carry our current passports), then he questioned why we didn't have a Dubai visa even though we don’t need one. He made us say we would get one on arrival. I said Yes, we will get one on arrival. He was satisfied. Then he says we have to check our bags. We said we have taken them on every leg of the flight with no issue. He made us weigh them and said we had to check them. We argued and he did the head bob and relented. Good grief!
We had rupees to spend off and I got 2 magnets, a shirt and a skirt. Later I found a lovely hand painted tea pot.
I had done so well going through security but today was my day to be singled out. My bag didn’t come out. They were holding it to have me check to see if I had spare batteries and chargers and then made me take out my hair dryer. Then put it back through. Success! India seems very concerned about cords. Anything with a cord had to come out of the bags and be put separately along with computers, phones, iPads etc. Men go through one line and women in a separate line. That was hard for me as Greg lifts my carry-on since my right arm is not all that functional now. (hope to get that fixed when we get back home) A man has to wand a man and a woman has to wand a woman. They seemed confused on our genders making sure Greg wasn't a woman and me not a man. I guess we look like a lesbian couple.
Then we go in search of food. Lunch was difficult. One place wouldn’t sell just a drink without buying food. Another wouldn’t sell the meal without a drink. The place we wanted to eat was not open and was told to come back in 5 minutes and then 15 still not open. We gave up. The food was weird tasting at the place we did eat. All the other airport food in other ones were all good. This was a nice airport in Mumbai, but the food was not great tasting.
So, we went for the Chinese place. The dumplings were good the chicken teriyaki tasted like fish. I got something that I forget the name, which was good but not filling. Went to KFC only zinger stuff so I ended up at Burger King for a not great chicken sandwich. Yikes!
Finally, we found our gate and boarded our plane for Dubai.
Arrival and immigration went pretty smoothy here and we grabbed a taxi to the hotel. What a surprise we got when we got to our room. We had booked the room on Marriott Points (would only have been $104 if we had paid for it) at the 4 Points Sheraton. We got an upgraded room which turned out to be a full suite. 2 full bathrooms, a large storage closet for luggage, full kitchen with a washer and dryer, a large great room with a dining room, desk, couches and chairs and TV, large bedroom with desk and chairs and TV and a huge closet. Too bad we were only staying overnight. It was late, but we were to leave before breakfast opened so we walked down to the corner grocery store and got some pastries to go with the huge bowl of fruit we got.
Also, as a life-time member we got a choice of welcome gift. We chose the chocolate cake which turned out to be Tiramisu which was to die for.
Magic Tours made this overland trip seamless, and everything went according to plan. We have used them in Mumbai and Cochin as well for day tours. They really shined in Jaipur and Varanasi making sure we saw as much as possible in our limited time. I highly recommend them for any place in India!
Evening Bazaar Walk & Ganga Aarti https://photos.app.goo.gl/8MP4QBLLcxJy5hrd9
Varanasi to Dubai https://photos.app.goo.gl/5teHALX5K8DkfHZGA
video to be added later.
Of course, we saw some birds:
Asian Koel
Bank Myna - NEW
Black Kite
Common Myna
Coppersmith Barbet - NEW
House Crow
Indian Pond-Heron
Jungle Babbler - NEW
Large-billed Crow
Little Egret
Little Swift
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Spotted Owlet - NEW
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