Hundreds of people clap as they sing along to “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram”. And yet, there is a stirring sense of calm in the air. Meant to mirror the grand celebrations at Varanasi and Haridwar, the beauty of the Ganga Aarti on the banks of Ramkrishnapur Ghat in Howrah, is that it manages to offer peace in the midst of a spectacle.
While the ghat hosts an aarti every evening after sunset with priests from Varanasi conducting the rituals, the one on Dev Deepawali (or Dev Diwali), which fell on November 8 this year, is a special thing to witness.
Hundreds of people offered diyas to the waters of the Hooghly to mark the occassion
Stepping into a different world
The ambience has the ability to grip you even before stepping on to Ramkrishnapur Ghat. The lights are visible all the way from the opposite end of Babughat, with the first notes of the harmonium becoming audible as you board a ferry. Disembarking at the ghat on the night of Dev Deepawali is like stepping into a different sphere, away from the stresses of work and life. Here, nothing is more important than the aarti. People from all walks of life sit beside each other on the bank of the river, their faces indicating that this is a meditative routine for them.
While the orchestra regales devotees with bhajans, the priests perform 11 different aartis in perfect unison
Then there is the spectacle of the aarti itself. As a melodious orchestra plays devotional songs, nine priests from Varanasi perform 11 different types of aartis in perfect harmony. What adds to the spectacular sight is the dancing light of over 5,000 diyas that form a carpet stretching out from around the stage to the banks and the water of the river beyond. Hundreds of devotees have taken a dip in the Hooghly and offered diyas to the river, and continue to do so as the aarti takes place. By the time you’re on the ferry returning to Babughat, the water near the bank is like a sparkling canvas, dotted with little specks of light burning just as steadily as they did two hours ago.
The devotees cheer, “Bolo Ganga maiyaa ki Jai!” together when the priests finish the aarti
A festival with a message
Sammilit Sadbhavna first organised the Ganga Aarti at Ramkrishnapur Ghat in 2009, on Ram Navami. “Initially we only conducted the aarti on Sundays, bringing in singers and priests every week from Varanasi. Due to increasing demand and huge crowds, we decided to do it every day from 2014, and even provided the priests and musicians with accommodation in Howrah. Since Dev Diwali is a special occasion, we got nine priests instead of five, and the community took it upon themselves to light diyas around the ghat,” says Ramji Jaiswal, secretary, Sammilit Sadbhavna.
People gather in large numbers every year to witness the aarti
The institute uses the Ganga Aarti as a medium to propagate the cleanliness of the river, and has taken over the development of the ghat. Their efforts have inspired people too. “We wash the ghat every morning, and have appointed people to ensure that no plastic is disposed of in the river. This initiative has been adopted not just by locals from Howrah, but also people from Kolkata, who take a ferry every evening to partake in our celebrations,” he adds.
A community comes together
Locals light over 1,000 diyas on the ghat and decorate it themselves, making the entire celebration feel familial and intimate
The festivities and matters of faith notwithstanding, what makes the evening of Dev Deepawali at Ramkrishnapur Ghat even more special is that every single one of the diyas adorning the ghat, is lit by locals. The community came together to decorate the ghat like they would their home and the fact makes the candles burn brighter. It isn’t the reverberating bhajans, or the almost trance-like claps accompanying them that drives the energy. More than the elaborate decorations, it is the intimacy — watching friends, families and strangers come together — that makes the ambience spiritual. Even in the midst of the large numbers, the aarti can make you feel included, like it is something of your own.