When I think back about my India trip (November 2018), the destination (Haridwar) at the end of the trip stands out in my mind.  

Sure, it is probably partly because we tend to remember what we did last, but in this case, it was more than that.  Visiting Haridwar on the Ganges River provided a fascinating look at traditions in India.

Haridwar is a small town on the Ganges in the northern part of the country. 

We stayed in a lovely old Havali (formerly a private mansion) with comfortable rooms, gracious service and lovely ornamental tiles and floral elements.  I was on a Jim Cline Photography Tour.  

While we were right in the middle of the old town—with it’s confusing alleys and passageways, it didn’t take all that long to figure out the route to the water—the heart of the town. 

Most memorable is the Ganga Aarti Ceremony.  Every evening as the sun’s last rays reflect off the waters of Mother Ganga, people gather for Ganga Aarti. This is where lamps are lit in honor of the river.  The word Aarti is a Sanskrit word which means remover of darkness ( ignorance). 

This wasn’t my first aarti experience but it was the best. Why?  We had a chance to see the location multiple times before attending the ceremony which made it very comfortable for me.  Also, our Photo Leaders carefully selected the prime spot for us to observe (and photograph) the ceremony and then arranged for this spot to be “saved” for us.  Perfect.  

What is the aarti ceremony? 

According to Wikipedia aarti is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a part of puja, in which light (usually from a flame) is offered to one or more deities. Aarti(s) also refers to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when the light is being offered. Aarti – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarti

Part of the ceremony includes a request by the priests for people not to pollute the river. They respond with chanting and raised hands.   

We received requests for donations

At other times during the day, we saw pilgrims bathing and worshiping at the Ganges. This is central to the  Hindu religion. Bathing in the Ganges is believed to remove your sins.  

The other part of the Haridwar visit that I truly enjoyed was a brief stop at the Kainchi Dham Ashram where Steve Jobs spent some time early in his career.  We didn’t tour, simply stopped to snap pictures of ourselves and our Apple phones and watches at the entrance.  It wasn’t the kind of place a group of photographers  tramping around clicking shutters would be appropriate.  It was private and quiet.

SEE my blog post on going on a photo tour for photos of us with our phones.

It was here that Steve Jobs learned to pursue prajna, a Sanskrit word used in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy meaning consciousness or wisdom, a form of understanding of the nature of reality achieved through meditation and mindfulness.

I’ll post more about this part of India, an area not on the typical tourist tours.  Actually I’d like to go back and spend more time here.  It felt comfortable, safe, not intimidating and loaded with photo opportunities.  Something about it calls to me.