Arati

On Wednesday night Stefano, Cecilia, Tavariji (the music teacher at the ashram), and a couple from the U.S. took a boat ride down the Ganges to go see the evening arati. There is an arati at the ashram every night and while I would consider it a ritual, the main arati in Varanasi is much more extensive. It lasted about an hour and was quite spectacular. In addition to the spectacle of the arati, it was interesting to watch the dozens of boats crowd in to watch and the children hop from boat to boat selling pre-made offerings and trinkets to the tourists. "Hello, ma'am, 10 rupees, not much money, 10 rupees!"


We go barefoot a lot here, taking our shoes off in temples, on boats, etc.

A blurry shot due to the motion of the boat, but two of the seller girls watch the arati.