Awakening Varanasi
India
In the bustling early morning of the sacred site, there was a sacred flow of time.
Hear the local sound
The river Ganges flows endlessly through the scorching land, quenching thirst, nurturing crops and livestock, providing food, raising humans, and eventually, people offered gratitude for the blessings of the river.
The sense of gratitude generated faith, and people prayed to the gods. Many nations arose and conflicts occurred, but people's faith in the Ganges remained an integral part of their lives, and they never strayed from the river.
Among them, Varanasi is the holiest riverbank for Hindus. People from all over the world visit here for bathing and worship.
The bathing facilities, called ghats, stretch for many kilometers, and among them are also cremation grounds. It is their devout wish to end their lives here, so many people stay here before their life comes to an end. Hindus are cremated, but if they could not live a full life or had some issue, they are wrapped in cloth and floated down the river to be pecked at by crows and wild dogs.
The food chain is a natural thing for living creatures, and this scene teaches us that.
Bathing is believed to be most honorable when facing the rising sun. Pilgrims offer prayers to the rising sun, desiring to break free from the cycle of reincarnation and obtain eternal paradise. Their appearance has not changed for thousands of years.
And today, like the cycle of reincarnation, as the sun begins to rise, Varanasi awakens.
The sense of gratitude generated faith, and people prayed to the gods. Many nations arose and conflicts occurred, but people's faith in the Ganges remained an integral part of their lives, and they never strayed from the river.
Among them, Varanasi is the holiest riverbank for Hindus. People from all over the world visit here for bathing and worship.
The bathing facilities, called ghats, stretch for many kilometers, and among them are also cremation grounds. It is their devout wish to end their lives here, so many people stay here before their life comes to an end. Hindus are cremated, but if they could not live a full life or had some issue, they are wrapped in cloth and floated down the river to be pecked at by crows and wild dogs.
The food chain is a natural thing for living creatures, and this scene teaches us that.
Bathing is believed to be most honorable when facing the rising sun. Pilgrims offer prayers to the rising sun, desiring to break free from the cycle of reincarnation and obtain eternal paradise. Their appearance has not changed for thousands of years.
And today, like the cycle of reincarnation, as the sun begins to rise, Varanasi awakens.
Without wind, without waves.
A quiet morning where even the sound of walking barefoot on cobblestones seems audible.
The laundry worker sweats from before sunrise.
Trembling dog.
Washing hair.
A sailboat that has finished transporting firewood to Manikarnika Ghat(crematorium).
Devotees boarding a boat to cross over for ritual bathing on the opposite bank.
Wrapping cloth around the purified body.
With the sound of the tuk-tuk engine, the town wakes up.
In Varanasi, I always take a walk along the river before sunrise.
There is a serene atmosphere that allows even the slightest sound of footsteps or oars on boats to be heard.
The dry winter season covers everything in mist, creating an especially fantastical environment.
Sitting on the cobblestones, watching the flow of the river, I forget that time moves forward towards the future and feel a natural sense of impermanence that even non-Hindus can enter a meditative state.
While I have chosen photos from daily life, Varanasi is known as a city of religion.
Morning puja, a ritual that involves offering gifts and prayers to the gods, offers a unique experience different from that of nighttime.
(Hindu worshippers visit Varanasi for the purpose of bathing and witnessing the puja.)
Once, while I was observing the puja, a couple next to me asked, "Where are you from?"
Beside them was a photo of a young man who was their son, who had passed away from malaria last year.
They had traveled all the way from southern India to Varanasi to pray for their son's soul with his photo.
The woman's expression was very peaceful, and I wondered if she had found solace in the puja, knowing that her son had journeyed to heaven.
Witnessing their unwavering faith and sense of tranquility, I felt that Varanasi was the closest thing to heaven on earth for them.
I envied them because I don't have a peaceful place to dedicate my heart to in this world.
I prayed for their blessings.
＊ If you are considering a trip to India, I suggest you go here.
In my next article, I would like to present pictures of Varanasi as a holy place.
＊ I hope you can enjoy viewing the photos I've taken on the largest monitor possible.
There is a serene atmosphere that allows even the slightest sound of footsteps or oars on boats to be heard.
The dry winter season covers everything in mist, creating an especially fantastical environment.
Sitting on the cobblestones, watching the flow of the river, I forget that time moves forward towards the future and feel a natural sense of impermanence that even non-Hindus can enter a meditative state.
While I have chosen photos from daily life, Varanasi is known as a city of religion.
Morning puja, a ritual that involves offering gifts and prayers to the gods, offers a unique experience different from that of nighttime.
(Hindu worshippers visit Varanasi for the purpose of bathing and witnessing the puja.)
Once, while I was observing the puja, a couple next to me asked, "Where are you from?"
Beside them was a photo of a young man who was their son, who had passed away from malaria last year.
They had traveled all the way from southern India to Varanasi to pray for their son's soul with his photo.
The woman's expression was very peaceful, and I wondered if she had found solace in the puja, knowing that her son had journeyed to heaven.
Witnessing their unwavering faith and sense of tranquility, I felt that Varanasi was the closest thing to heaven on earth for them.
I envied them because I don't have a peaceful place to dedicate my heart to in this world.
I prayed for their blessings.
＊ If you are considering a trip to India, I suggest you go here.
In my next article, I would like to present pictures of Varanasi as a holy place.
＊ I hope you can enjoy viewing the photos I've taken on the largest monitor possible.