Grounded in the Ganges

This is a simple scene, but telling. The barefoot boatmen wade through the detritus on the river bank. A string of beads lies in the water, maybe carried downstream from the funeral ghats just up river. The decaying brickwork and the old boat showing that entropy is having its way.

A scene on the river Ganges, The Ganga, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

 

The Ganges at Dawn

 

This scene was one of a series taken in Varanasi when we arose before dawn to record the ceremony of Aarti. If you are ever visiting this part of India be prepared for ‘in your face India’, and I can recommend the experience of the pre-dawn ceremony. It’s a highly spiritual event as the light gradually breaks over the Ganges.