Page 60 - varanasi

The Varanasi Ganga Aarti takes place every sunset at holy Dasas-
wamedh Ghat, near Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It differs from the
aartis at Haridwar and Rishikesh in that it’s a highly choreographed
ceremony. Although a spectacular must-see, some people consid-
er it to be too much of an artificial and showy extravaganza to have
a lot of meaning in a spiritual context.
The aarti is performed on a stage by a group of young pandits, all
draped in saffron colored robes with their puja plates spread out
before them.

It commences with the blowing of a conch shell, and continues
with the waving of incense sticks in elaborate patterns and circling
of large flaming lamps that create a bright hue against the dark-
ened sky. The movement of the lamps, held in the pandits’ hands, is
tightly synchronizing to the rhythmic chants of hymns and clang of
cymbals. The heady scent of sandalwood thickly permeates the air.

People start arriving very early (as early as 5 p.m.) in order to get
a good position for viewing the aarti. A novel and effective way of
seeing it is by boat from the river. Alternatively, many shops in the
vicinity hire their balconies out to tourists. A maha aarti (great aar-
ti) takes place on a particularly elaborate scale in Varanasi near the
end of each year on Kartik Purnima.