As the Second Royal Bath (Somvati Amavasya – Dvitya Shahi Snan) approached, the banks of the holy Ganga(Ganges) at Haridwar steadily filled with pilgrims. In the mornings the pilgrims who had descended on Haridwar from across India would flock to the ghats, taking their morning bath in the holy river. In the evenings the ghats would be filled with devotees for the aarti, a Hindu ceremony in which fire is offered to deity in this case the Ganga. The throngs of followers would sing a devotional song as they watched the spectacle. By the day of the Somvati Amavaya the banks were crowded pilgrims stretching as far as the eye could see. The largest religious gathering in the world was living up to its billing.
Leave a Reply