Ganga Aarti
The Ganga Aarti in Banaras is amongst the most exquisite religious ceremonies on the planet. It takes place near Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the Ghat Dashashwamedh. The Aarti is held on the stairs at the river’s bank. In honour of the Goddess Ganga, a group of pandits dressed in saffron robes erect massive brass lanterns.
The ritual starts with blowing a conch, which is said to clear bad energy and improve your sensibilities. The air is thick with the scent of sandalwood. People begin gathering early to secure a good viewing spot for the Aarti.
A good method of viewing it is via boat. Alternatively, several nearby establishments rent out their decks to visitors. Varanasi is also a popular tourist spot in North India package tours.
7 Cities
Seven cities in India have been declared holy and sacred which leads one to attain salvation.
They are
- Ayodhya,
- Mathura,
- Maya (Haridwar),
- Kanchi,
- Kasi (Varanasi),
- Avanti (Ujjain) and
- Dwaraka.
Among them, Varanasi gets its importance, where Lord Shiva was said to be relieved of the curse of having chopped off the head of Brahma. It is also told that Lord Shiva chants the Rama Mantra in the ears of those who are about to die here, to attain salvation. Every Hindu would like to visit Varanasi at least once in their lifetime, to ward off their sins.
Varanasi – the spiritual capital of India
Varanasi is situated on the banks of River Ganga, which is considered to be the holiest river. In the Scriptures, Ganga is said to have originated from the Holy feet of Lord Sri Vishnu when He took the Aavatara of Trivikrama when His feet enclosed all the worlds. Further, It has been said to be held in the Locks of Lord Shiva. It is a perennial river, with flowing waters throughout the year.
A dip in the Holy Ganga cleans all the sins. Ganga is worshipped as Ganga Mayya.
Varanasi may be said to be the spiritual capital of India, where attending the Ganga Aarti is a visual treat to watch. The Aarti is the main attraction when thousands of people gather on the banks of Ganga, every day. The Aarti at the Sunset offers an extraordinary spiritual feeling.
Every evening, priests of Varanasi perform elaborate and extremely beautiful Aarti on the Ghats of Ganga. The most prominent of these Ghats is Dashashwamedh Ghat which is located right next to Kasi Vishwanath Temple. The other ghats where people can watch Varanasi Aarti are Assi Ghat and Rajendra Prasad Ghat.
At Dashashwamedh Ghat, the entire place keeps silent when a Shankh (conch) is blown. The Shankh’s holy sound heralds that the Aarti is beginning and it draws everyone’s attraction. A statue of Ganga is placed in the centre of the platform. With the sound of bells and chants, and lighting of incense sticks and Diyas (lamps), the Aarti carries on.
The priests do pujas with great devotion for the River Ganga in such a synchronized manner that it makes for a spellbound sight. The Aarti goes on for about 45 minutes and it is impossible to take your sight even for a second. People gather together to witness the wonderful sight.
Timings of Ganga Aarti
For a long period, Ganga Aarti was performed only in the evening. It was always scheduled just after the Sunset. In Summer it would start at 7 pm and in Winter around 6 pm. Nowadays morning Ganga Aarti is also performed.
- In Summer, morning Aarti is performed from 5 am to 7 am and in Winter from 5.30 am to 7.30 am.
- The evening Aarti is performed with a focus on Dashashwamedh Ghat and the morning Aarti is focused on the Assi Ghat.
Morning Aarti is a spiritual treat for the Soul.
It begins with the chanting of Veda hymns and is followed by Aarti. A grand tribute is paid to the four basic elements that comprise everything in this universe, viz., Earth, Water, Sky and fire. After the Aarti, classical musicians perform sweet musical concerts.
Ganga Pushkaram a very famous and sacred festival is said to be celebrated during the period April – May, this year, when the planet Jupiter enters the constellation of Aries (Mesha rasi). It will be an added benefit to perform and witness the Holy and Sacred Aarti.
Varanasi is a very sacred place with the presiding deity of Kasi Viswanath with His divine consort Sri Kasi Visalakshi; Ganga is the holy river; Ganga Aarti is a spirit kindling performance. Then what to tell about witnessing Ganga Aarti at Varanasi – a great experience to be felt only and in warding off the sins.
