Where Resides the Divine

The fire held in her hands
Burns hot and bright
But not so hot
Nor bright
As the fire in her heart
In her spirit

While those
Who participate in the rite
Focus on the ceremonial fire
To please the god, Shiva

I revel instead
In the fire and light
Of her being
Where resides the divine

The Fire Burns Within
Beside Daughter Ganga
Parmarth Niketan Ashram
Rishikesh
Uttarakhand, India

Taken during travels, 2017

NaPoWriMo ’24, day 21 of 30

I attended evening Aarti ceremonies in both Varanasi and Rishikesh, two of Hinduism’s holiest cities. These are two very different experiences.Varanasi, at Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges River (the Ganga), was a big show, attended by a crowd of thousands as several monks performed the elaborate fire ritual. The majority of those in attendance celebrated or observed from boats floating on the river. It is an extraordinary spectacle.I loved the intimacy of the ritual performed in Rishikesh at Parmarth Niketan. Observers sat amongst the performing celebrants which included students of the Ashram.

The river in Rishikesh is still “Daughter Ganga” and only becomes “Mother Ganga” when she fully exits the Himalaya foothills beyond Rishikesh. The Daughter’s water moves too quickly for boats to easily rest, so nearly all participants of this much smaller ceremony gathered on the ashram’s concrete steps and wide platform/stage along the banks of the river.