What first comes to your mind when I say Rishikesh?
For me it is river rafting, camping and bungee jumping. Many people might have the same answer but the city is more than that.
A holy place with numerous temples along river Ganga, Rishikesh has always been a place of spiritual awakening for people.
I have visited Rishikesh many times but this time apart from the adventurous activities, I attended the Ganga aarti at Triveni Ghat.
It was magical. The whole environment changed in a couple of minutes. I talked to Acharya Subhash Gopal about the aarti and have compiled the a photo story about what I learnt.
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| Because flowers are too mainstream |
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The stage is set for the aarti
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The stage is set for the aarti. The aarti has been practiced for six to seven years. There is a staircase on the backside for people to sit. Once the stage is done, the priest comes and take their respective places. The aarti starts after sunset.
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The stage with the artists
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The priests face towards the Manikut Parvat where Lord Shiva resides in the famous Neelkanth temple. According to mythological stories, during samudra manthan Lord Shiva drank the poison and came to Manikut Parvat to live.
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| Aarti begins with worshiping of Lord Shiva |
At first, Lord Shiva is worshiped, followed by the Ganga. There is perfect coordination between the priests while performing the aarti. The priests, known as acharya are from Sanskrit Gurukuls. They have studied various subjects like yoga, religious script, astrology etc.
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| Diyas are lit first |
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| Isn't this perfection? |
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| Incense sticks are lit after that |
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| The smoke which might be good for health |
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| Picture perfect |
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| Bigger the diyas, bigger is your adoration |
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| Left, right, center, back: Every sphere is covered |
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Acharya Subhash Gopal
Acharya Subhash Gopal has been living in Rishikesh for 18 years. He is from the Gharwal region. He has completed his studies from gurukul Drashan Mahavidhyalaya. He is also a teacher at gurukul Nepali Sanskrit school. |
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| Two types of audience |
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