Festive Spiritual India – Part I (Haridwar)
I have some pictures this time. Everything in India is very colorful, loud and festive – weddings, national holidays, religious holidays, vacations, birthday parties, etc. Places of spiritual importance are no exceptions. So, sacred Haridwar, since its an important religious site, will not be, quiet and solem, as most people might imagine. No, it is colorful, loud, and festive – true to the Indian spirit. While the wait for the Maha Arti is on, people are busy buying colorful toys, diyas, temple offerings, eating vendor food, talking loudly, laughing, haggling ! Not to mention the loudspeakers that keep announcing lost children, lost umbrellas, meeting points, Arti details 🙂
I have some pictures of the Holy Ghat and the Maha Arti. The Ghat is on the Holy Ganges, between two hillocks (each hillock has a temple accessible though cable cars-ropeways).
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b) 
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Pictures – Holy Ganga, Harki Paudi Ghat – (a) Waiting for Maha Arti (b) Maha Arti at Sun Set (c) Extra Exposure Photo of Maha Arti ( downloaded)
More Photos at: http://www.msnusers.com/BikiniBootsPhotos/shoebox.msnw
As I mentioned earlier, Roorkee is a very central location to most places in Uttranchal. Haridwar is just 30 minutes ( 22 miles). We got there just in time for the Maha Arti, successfully avoiding the afternoon heat and crowd. The Maha Arti was to start at 7:30 but we had to get there by 6:30 to get central sitting spots on the ghat steps, so we had a close up clear view of the Arti. To really experience the incense laden, heavy singing, lighted moment on the river bank, it is important that you sit right in front. Hundreds of pilgrims travel from far and wide for a visit to Harki Pauri and the Maha Arti. This time I saw street vendors and farmers are with one cell phone each (35% growth annually in Indian Market in cell phone usage). Middle Income Farmers sitting on the ghat with digi cams 🙂
Since we avoid staying in Haridwar overnight (too crowded, no decent hotels), we drove back (30 min ride) after the Mahar Arti, and enjoyed hot dinner and a good night’s sleep at home.
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