A priest offering the holy flames to the pilgrims during the Ganga Aarti evening ceremony at Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar. The devotees give some offering in the form of money back to the priests. Things did feel a bit commercialized to me, but maybe thats just the cynic in me talking.

Seeking blessings from the scared flames. A typical scene during the Ganga Aarti ritual which takes place every evening at Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar. I love this picture. Watch the girl in the background taking in the blessings.

During the Kanwar mela, millions of people from all over North India come to Haridwar to collect water from the Ganges and take it back home. Here you can see the stalls and camps set up to accomodate the pilgrims. The colorful objects on sale in this picture are Kanwars. Wooden (bamboo) poles used by the pilgrims to carry the Ganga Jal (holy water) back to their hometowns. Usually the pole is slung across their shoulders with water-pots hanging from either end.

As i reached the Har-ki-Pauri ghats the aarti had already begun. All along the ghats, priests like this can be seen performing the aarti with many devotees around them. The aarti is accompanied by the melodious chanting of the "Om Jai Gange Mata" hymn by everyone gathered there. The whole place swayed to the rhythm and the tempo of the bhajans. The atmosphere was quite incredible. It took me back to my days in the Sivanada ashram where we used to do the Ganga Aarti every day and i found myself singing along to the bhajans.

People gathered on the Har-ki-Pauri ghats to witness the Ganga aarti ceremony. Once the ceremony is over, some of them take a ritual bath in the waters of the Ganges. Many people pay their respects to the river by placing floating diyas (wick lamps) on the waters of the ganges. The floating diya is basically a plantain leaf folded in the shape of a boat, containing a few flowers and a tiny wick lamp which would be lighted and set off on the waters.

The Ganges flowing between the bathing ghats in Haridwar.

Photo taken at the Har-ki-pauri ghats in Haridwar.