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| Har Ki Pauri - Ganga Aarthi |
Having partied on till about 1 am, we finally staggered back to our hotel room and quickly fell asleep, but not before making a drunken commitment to wake up early the next morning and do some sight seeing. Accordingly a taxi was booked for 0800 hours.
We finally woke at 07:30, rushed through the morning routine and set off finally at 08:45. The plan was to visit Rishikesh, Har Ki Pauri, and squeeze in the Chilla Wildlife Sanctuary, which is actually a part of the Rajaji National Park.
Once out on the road, we realized that we had not eaten any breakfast. Soon enough the focus shifted from looking at the sights to look for a restaurant where we can eat.
Shortly, we hit the right spot and had a hearty breakfast comprising Parathas and Poori, followed up with some Coffee.
After eating the "local" version of Paratha and Pooris, we realized that all the while back home, we were just eating poor imitations of these ubiquitous food varieties. Imagine if this was the quality in a relatively modest restaurant, what would it be like to eat in a bigger place.
By the time we were done with breakfast, thunder clouds were rolling in and the cab driver mentioned that either the rain will pass soon or will last a few hours.
Soon it was very dark and looked more like dusk than Mid morning and it was headlights and blinker time, since the visibility was very poor.
We made slow progress and finally reached the banks of "Gangaji" as the River Ganges is called locally with reverence. It was still pouring and to make matters worse, the wind picked up too.
We had dressed lightly anticipating a day in the sun and the combination of wind and rain made for a bone chilling combination especially for us Southies who are used to a much warmer climate. Deepak's expression says it all!!
Normal speech was impossible as the cold just took our breaths away and it was a long while before we could stand without shivering. By now we had a guide with us to show us around Rishikesh and we started off by taking the boat across Ganga.
What would normally be a pleasure trip across the river turned out to be a test in endurance. The stiff breeze made sure that everyone on the boat got wet and the shivering miserable group landed on the other shore.
Taking a dip in the river under the circumstances was out of question and hence the next best thing happened.... a bird bath!! Having washed away the sins, we moved ahead and visited the temples in the area.
The last temple on the list was the "Teen Mala Mandir" or the Three storied temple which is situated close to Lakshman Jhula.
Lakshman Jhula is a Suspension bridge built in 1927-28. This bridge was a replacement for the earlier bridge which was washed away in the floods of 1924. The original structure still stands barring some minor repairs performed over the years - A glowing tribute to the Engineers and Workmen of the past!!
With the crossing over the Lakshman Jhula, our Rishikesh leg was completed and we decided to head back to Haridwar, via Chilla.
While the drive was uneventful, we dallied over some late afternoon snacks only to watch the day's Safari trips into the National Park close. We were left ruing over a lost opportunity.
Meanwhile, I made do with my first ever sighting of an Indian Grey Hornbill which was a small consolation.
Later at Har Ki Pauri, we had the pleasure of watching Black Headed Gulls' acrobatics over the Ganga while we waited for the Aarthi to begin.
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| An Aghori - Read more about them at http://www.speakingtree.in/blog/sex-rituals-of-aghori-sadhus |
All set for the daily evening ritual of Ganga Aarthi at the Har Ki Pauri. Jai Ganga Maa Har Ki Pauri (Hindi: हर की पौड़ी) is a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar in Uttarakhand state in India. This revered place is the major landmark of the holy city of Haridwar. Literally, "Har" means "Lord Shiva" who is the god according to shaivite Rishav school of Hindu theology, "Ki" means "of" and "Pauri" means "steps". Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are believed to have visited the Brahmakund in Har Ki Pauri in the Vedic times. There is a large footprint said to belong to Lord Vishnu on a stone wall. (Source: Wikipedia)
Whether you are a believer or a sceptic, it is impossible not to be moved by the sense of devotion displayed by the people at large.
Even the visitors from abroad are in awe and watch in rapt attention to the Aarthi in progress. Once the Aarthi was over, we rushed back to the cab to get back in time for the Nuptials.
It was a mad dash to the hotel, to freshen up and change for the wedding. The wedding was to start at 1900 hours and by the time we huffed and puffed our way to the wedding hall, it was already 1930 and we walked in...........
A beautifully decorated hall with all the bells and whistles that one can expect in a Typical Punjabi wedding......
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| The Groom's Party |
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| Groom in His Carriage |
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| The Barathis - Groom's Party |
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| Dancing on the Streets amidst Fireworks |
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| Reception Committee for the Groom's Family |
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| Meeting and Greeting |
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| Groom's Reception Committee |
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| Groom welcomed with Sweets and Tika |
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| After the Sweets come the Interrogation by the Brides friends |
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| Interrogation Continues till the Groom offers money |
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| Free Atlast, the Groom walks into the hall |
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Groom on stage awaiting the Bride
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| The couple share a private moment |
Typically the wedding rituals go through the night. Unfortunately for us though, we had an early morning train to catch and hence we took leave early in the morning around 1:00 am.
The next morning we were on the way back home and to the work routine. Thanks for being with me, hope you enjoyed reading this.
