The Ganga is worshiped
by Hindus with the greatest pomp and grandeur at Allahabad. It's many names
show how important Allahabad is to the pilgrims. It is 'Tirtharaj' the king
of pilgrimages - Prayag, Sangam and Triveni. Here the blue waters of the
Jamuna meet the cofee brown Ganga and the invisible river Saraswati - a
sangam or a meeting of three rivers that gives it a special sanctity. Allahabad
comes alive every winter during the Magh Mela and every twelve years it
is transformed into a fantastic congregation of the Kumbh Mela. After Allahabad
the Ganges heads for Varanai or Benares. It is a city that has loved and
worshipped the Ganga with the greatest style. It is one of the oldest living
city in the world. In Varanasi all the tortuous lanes seem to lead to the
Ganga. It is a city that sings the praises of Shiva and the goddess that
he brought down to earth.
Pilgrims congregate on stepped platforms called
ghats on the banks of the sacred river Ganga. A dip in the waters of the
Ganges is considered sacred.
Offerings line the ghats in preparation for
the Chhath harvest ritual. The fuits of the harvest are offered to the
river at dawn in thanksgiving.
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