Varanasi or Benares is one of the oldest cities in the world. The city lies on the holy river Ganges. The city is one of the four main pilgrimage sites for Hinduism in India. Pilgrims come to ritually cleanse themselves in the river on designated banks (called ghats).
For Hindus, the Ganges is a sacred river. Hindus worship the river goddess Ganga, for whom a 55-day festival is celebrated every 12 years. Even outside this festival, millions of Hindus flock to cities on the Ganges every year to cleanse their souls by washing in the river. When Hindus die, they are cremated. Their ashes are then scattered in the Ganges if possible. Boat rides can give a good idea of the ritual sites and events on the banks of the river.
The format of this shot is 5:4.
Photographer who specializes in birds, mammals, landscapes, professional bike racing and portraits. I preferably use my Nikon cameras D850 en D750... Read more…