Entering the Land of Gods—Nepal (II): Ganges Night Ceremony

The Ganges Night Ceremony is an ancient ritual passed down by Hindu devotees in the Ganges River basin for thousands of years. Every evening from sunset, the ceremony is held by the river. Upon arriving in Pokhara, Nepal, I went to watch this religious ritual called Aarati. It is said that this ceremony is held every evening around six o'clock by the pier of Phewa Lake. Aarati is a Hindu religious ceremony, known to most people from the night ceremonies on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, India. Since it is held in the evening, it is called 'Night Ceremony' by the locals. Few people know that the ceremony is called Aarati. After accidentally watching it by the Phewa Lake in Pokhara and showing the video to the locals, I learned that it is called Aarati. The Aarati ceremony generally involves lighting wicks soaked in ghee, ghee lamps, or incense materials placed in specially designed tools (such as tower lamps or snake-head basins) to create a bright flame or smoke. The priest holds the tools and performs various gestures, expressing worship to one or more gods. The Aarati ceremony has a complete set of procedures, such as burning incense, lighting fire, burning incense, using a copper pot emitting smoke, tower lamps with holy fire, ringing bells, scattering flowers, blowing conch shells, etc. The specific sequence is not clear. During the ceremony, devotees are allowed to participate and dance to the rhythm of the music, hoping everyone becomes part of the ceremony, reflecting the unity of gods and devotees. According to records, the earliest Aarati ceremony was held in the Pashupatinath Temple in 200 AD. It was very grand, and since 2006, it has been promoted as a regular traditional ceremony. The snake-head basin lamp performance of the Aarati ceremony in Pokhara is conducted by three priests simultaneously. Each priest has a simple temporary altar. Its scale and venue are not as grand as the Ganges Night Ceremony found online. The priests' dance movements and gestures are consistent, holding the tools in their right hand and shaking bells with their left hand, dancing to the beautiful melody of the music. Sometimes they circle with the tools, sometimes they hold the tools high without moving, demonstrating in all four directions clockwise. The first time I saw it, they used a smoking lamp first and then a tower oil lamp; the second time I saw it, it was already the latter part, but the latter part was not a tower lamp, but a snake-head basin lamp. I don't know if they use different tools each time? Finally, the priests ring bells, scatter flowers, and blow conch shells. When the devotees raise their hands and sing prayers, the atmosphere reaches a climax. At the end, the chief priest takes the snake-head basin lamp off the stage, allowing the devotees to touch the flame with their hands and then touch their heads, as a way to thank the gods for their blessings and receive divine power. It is quite spectacular and unique, attracting many local devout believers and tourists to watch. Pokhara