Ganga Aarti Tour
Ganga Aarti Tour or Ganga Darshan tours packages covering the pathways and cities where mother Ganga flow and become the holy pilgrimage site for the Hindus. Ganga is originated from northern Himalaya and emerging in to bay of Bengal . Ganga Darshan holiday packages covers most of the holy destinations such as Gangotri, Haridwar, Rishikesh , Prayagraj, Kashi also known as Varanasi .
Varanasi is said to be one of the oldest places in the world. It is part of the Sapt Puri, the seven holiest cities in India, which includes Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kanchipuram, Ujjain and Dwarka. According to Hindu mythology, Varanasi was established by Lord Shiva himself. When a fight broke out between Shiva and Brahma, Shiva cut off one of the five heads of Brahma. To show his victory to the world, Shiva carried the decapitated head in his hand. He even put a bridle in its mouth, disrespecting Brahma. When Shiva reached the city that we now call Varanasi, the head fell from his hand and disappeared into the ground. Since then, Varanasi has stayed one of the holiest cities for Hindus in India.
Ganga is the holiest river in Hindu mythology. This is why it is believed that a dip in the river cleanses your sins. When you visit one of the many ghats at Varanasi, you will see devotees in large numbers doing “snaan” in the river. For the safety of the people, chains and poles are used to prevent people from being borne away by the heavy flow of the river. As much as devotees love taking a dip into the river, they also revere it. Every evening, priests of Varanasi perform an 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 the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The other ghats where people can watch the Varanasi aarti are Assi Ghat and Rajendra Prasad ghat.
At Dashashwamedh ghat, one moment there’s hustle-bustle about finding the perfect place to watch the aarti, and the other moment the entire city falls silent when a shankh (conch) is blown. The shankh heralds that the aarti is beginning and it draws everyone’s attention. Since the Ganga aarti of Banaras is for the River Ganga, a statue of Goddess Ganga is placed in the centre at one of the many raised platforms. With the sound of bells and chants and lighting of incense sticks and diyas, the aarti is carried on.
The priests worship the River Ganga in such a synchronised manner that it makes for a spellbinding sight. They have been doing it in front of thousands of people for years now, and the practice and undying devotion make them perfect in what they do. Although it seems precariously risky, the lamps are in safe hands. This goes on for 45 minutes and it is practically impossible to take your eyes off for even a second. It is for this reason Varanasi ghat aarti is popular in the entire country. When you visit Varanasi, this is an experience that you cannot miss out on, regardless of the religion you practice.