Hindu devouts attend holy fire ritual at India’s Ganges River as restrictions ease

Record ID: 1634127

  • Title: Hindu devouts attend holy fire ritual at India’s Ganges River as restrictions ease
  • Date: 29th August 2021
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DEVOTEE, TANU SHARMA, SAYING: "It feels really good and I and feeling very peaceful here that I do not feel like going from here. I am feeling really good."
  • Embargoed: 12th September 2021 07:10
  • Keywords: Ganges River India Varanasi coronavirus devotees fire ritual health pandemic
  • Location: VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
  • City: VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA004ESBZYHB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Priests performed the 'Ganga Aarti', Hindu fire ritual of worshipping the holy Ganges River, in India's northern Varanasi city on Saturday (August 28) after a period of five months of being closed for the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.
    A huge crowd of devotees gathered at the Ganges riverbank despite coronavirus concerns to witness the 'aarti', where a group of priests performed rituals, accompanied by hymns and chiming of bells, to appease Goddess Ganga.
    "It feels really good and I and feeling very peaceful here that I do not feel like going (from here. I am feeling really good," said a devotee, Tanu Sharma.
    The Ganges is one of the most revered rivers in the world. It is worshipped by Hindus, who make up about 80 percent of India's 1.3 billion people. They call it 'Ganga Mata', or Mother Ganga, and believe a dip in the river absolves a lifetime of sins.
    India reported 45,083 new coronavirus infections on Sunday(August 29), according to data from the health ministry, driven by surging cases in the southern state of Kerala.
    The country's COVID-19 cases stood at about 32.7 million, with deaths rising by 460 to 437,830 in the last 24 hours, data showed.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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