The Power Of Celebration

“People of our time are losing the power of celebration.
Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained.
Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation.
To be entertained is a passive state–it is to receive pleasure afforded by an amusing act or a spectacle….
Celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one’s actions.”
(From “The Wisdom of Heschel” by Abraham Joshua Heschel)

This was shot from the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) during the celebrations of Dev Diwali on the occasion of Kartik Poornima.
The festival of Lights is a mark of welcome to the Gods as it is believed that they descend on earth on that special day.
In the evening under the full moon reflecting in the holy waters each ghat is performing Ganga Aarti with vedic hymns chanted by priests in order to please and welcome the Gods.

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Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

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Sacred Moments

“A ritual becomes the match that lights the kindred celebration candle of sacred moments long ago… tantalizing these entombed spirits to surface again.”
(Wes Adamson)

This was shot from a boat on the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) during the celebrations of Dev Diwali on the occasion of Kartik Poornima.
The festival of Lights is a mark of welcome to the Gods as it is believed that they descend on earth on that special day.
In the evening under the full moon reflecting in the holy waters each ghat is performing Ganga Aarti with vedic hymns chanted by priests in order to please and welcome the Gods.

Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography

© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

A Cosmic Journey

“We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity.
Life is eternal.
We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.
This is a precious moment.
It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
(from “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho)

This picture was shot at Manikarnika Ghat along holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) during the celebrations of Dev Diwali on the occasion of Kartik Poornima.
The festival of Lights is a mark of welcome to the Gods as it is believed that they descend on earth on that special day.
While all the banks of the sacred river are celebrating with hymns and fireworks, the burning ghat is still at work, the pyres carry on the eternal fire which has been burning continuously for more than three thousand years.

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Happy Diwali – Happy New Year

*** On this auspicious day of Diwali the RED HALO team wishes you success, Happiness, Prosperity and a Fantastic Rangoli of Life. ***

Happy Diwali – Happy New Year

________________________

RED HALO is a collection of household linen based in Benaras (Varanasi – India) providing work to people who were living with difficulties and education to children.

“Like” the RED HALO page on Facebook and support this amazing human adventure in Varanasi, www.facebook.com/redhalo.in

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HAPPY DIWALI AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

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I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY DIWALI AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH LOVE, PEACE AND PROSPERITY…

“May you all attain full inner illumination!
May the supreme light of lights enlighten your understanding!
May you all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self!
May you all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes!”
(from the writings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati – Hindu spiritual teacher, 1887–1963)

This is also the opportunity to thank you all for commenting my pictures the way you do and for this amazing support which always gives me the energy to carry on my work…
A new year is starting in India and I want to share with you more emotions with the colours of life which keep on coming in front of my lens…

(This picture was shot in Varanasi (Benaras) during Dev Diwali as Anand was taking all of us on his boat for a ride along the Ganges).

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Light Of Lights

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“The sun does not shine there, nor do the moon and the stars, nor do lightnings shine and much less fire.
All the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self.
Merge yourself in this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali.”
(from the writings of Swami Sivananda Saraswati – Hindu spiritual teacher, 1887–1963)

I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY DIWALI AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR WITH LOVE, PEACE AND PROSPERITY…

This is a picture of Jain ghat in Varanasi (Benaras) shot during Dev Diwali.

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The Divine Light

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“The Divine Light of the Infinite Lord, who owns the soul and the breath of life, is deep within the inner being.”
(From the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism )

This was shot from the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) during the celebrations of Dev Diwali on the occasion of Kartik Poornima.
The festival of Lights is a mark of welcome to the Gods as it is believed that they descend on earth on that special day.
In the evening under the full moon reflecting in the holy waters each ghat is performing Ganga Aarti with vedic hymns chanted by priests in order to please and welcome God.

Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography

Happy Diwali

© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

“May lights triumph over darkness.
May peace transcend the earth.
May the spirit of light illuminate the world.
May the light that we celebrate at Diwali show us the way and lead us together on the path of peace and social harmony.
Happy Diwali to everyone, Divali ki shubhkamnayen.”

Divali is a major Indian festival, significant in Hinduism , Jainism and Sikhism.
It is celebrated as the “Festival of Light” where the lights or lamps signify the uplighting of darkness and victory of good over the evil within.
The celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional dīpa or deeya (earthen lamp), and fireworks.
Divali is celebrated for five consecutive days at the end of Hindu month of Ashwayuja (amanta) in October/November.
Hindus, Jains and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships.
For Hindus it is one of the most important festivals, and beginning of the year, especially in North India.

This image was shot along the holy waters of the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).

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The Eternal Bliss of the Soul

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I was on a boat with my Indian family and some of my closest friends, we were lighting up a few candles that we were droping on the Ganges, while making several wishes for the year to come.
It was Diwali, the festival of Lights and Varanasi (Benaras) was covered with any kind of lights and deeyas everywhere.
People were singing, there was music and we could feel this amazing feeling of happiness wrapping everything all around.
We were approaching Nepali ghat.
The city of lights was offering its legendary magnificence for a night.

This festival is also about illumination of soul and burning all your bad times.
Beyond the superficial meanings and celebration, you can try to give a deep insight view of the festival.
Reading the traditional Diwali quotations helps to understand.

“He who Himself sees all but whom no one beholds, who illumines the intellect, the sun, the moon and the stars and the whole universe but whom they cannot illumine, He indeed is Brahman, He is the inner Self.
Celebrate the real Deepavali by living in Brahman, and enjoy the eternal bliss of the soul.”

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