GOD must be somewhere around.

A Hindu devotee offering prayers before dawn in Devghat.

It was an early morning when the lights just started to come in. I was awake the whole night, wandering back and forth the river Narayani and talking to devotees who came from far and wide to take the ceremonial holy bath in Devghat the next morning. I came to know that the Makar Sankranti's morning is holy because all Hindu Gods also come to take bath in Devghat that morning. Out of my thousands pictures that I took the entire night and early morning, I must have captured GOD in some of them. GOD must be somewhere in my pictures. 

Pilgrims' night out.

Pilgrims' night out.

Pilgrims celebrating their night out at Devghat by singing and dancing, using their torches to lighten the place even though there was a load-shedding. In January every year, devotees come to take a holy bath in river Narayani on the occasion of "Makar Sankranti/Maghe Sankranti". Devghat is one of the most sacred and holy places according to the Hindu mythology and is located at the junction of Krishna Gandaki and Sapta Gandaki in Central Nepal. 

2011.01.15, Devghat, Nepal. 

The early morning rituals

The boats for pilgrims

On an early morning of the 15th Jan., thousands of pilgrims journeyed to Devghat for Maghe Sankranti where people from all over came to take the holy bath in the Narayani River to celebrate Maghe Sankranti.

They also perform other Hindu rituals like Bratabandha besides the holy bath. Bratabandha is a religious ceremony where a boy shaves most of his head (except the very top) and performs various rituals. It is a symbolic representation that a boy is mature enough to perform his duties.

The early morning rituals at the river bank of Narayani

Devghat is located at the junction of Krishna-Gandaki and Sapta-Gandaki (which becomes Narayani after converging) rivers in Central Nepal. It is 5 km from Narayangarh, which is the business hub of the Chitwan district and 200 km Southwest from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. 

The story can also be found at demotix

 

Soughting help....!

A man seeks helps from pilgrims on the river banks of Narayani

In January each year, the Makar Sankranti/Maghe Sankranti festival is celebrated in Devghat, attracting thousands of Hindu devotees from all around Nepal and India who gather to perform ceremonial bathing rituals in the river Narayani.  It is then we can also see help seekers who need help in the form of food, money or clothes. This man was lying on the ground, on the banks of Narayani asking for help. I helped, did you?