by Geoffrey | Aug 21, 2023 | India, Kumbh Mela, Spirituality
About a decade ago I attended a magnificent religious festival at the city then called Allahabad. Approximately 100 million people attended from all over India and from around the world, gathering in a great temporary city on a sandy flood plain where...
by Geoffrey | Aug 20, 2023 | Ganges, Gita Press, India, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Morocco, Rishikesh, Transcendental Meditation
These are photographs taken at the decaying ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi situated on a slight hill on the outskirts of Rishikesh several months ago. It is a large sprawling site, partially reclaimed by nature, though the combination of decay and...
by Geoff | Jul 31, 2023 | Cemetery, Christian, Delhi, Documentary, India, Paherganj, Spirituality, Syncretism
It is hard to believe that in the teeming city of New Delhi there exists a quiet spot where the union of two nationalities and religions is celebrated. Just outside of its large walls, the busy markets of Paher Ganj and Delhi continue. I had arrived...
by Geoff | Jun 9, 2022 | India, Sadhu, Varanasi, Varanasi
The title of this blog entry may seem a little disparaging, though repeated efforts to initiate conversation or a relationship came to nothing. All I know about this man was that he was an older man, diminutive in stature and by his appearance was definitely a...
by Geoff | Apr 28, 2022 | India, Varanasi
My previous blog post described the role of the Karta at Manikarnika Ghat at Varanasi; the white cotton-clad males who lead the antyesti rituals on the ghats of Manikarnika, one of the most auspicious cremation sites in the Hindu world. Although moksha can be...
by Geoff | Apr 24, 2022 | India, Varanasi
The men with the white cotton clothes and the shaven heads are conspicuous amongst the sacred, infernal landscape of Mannikarnika Ghat, the most auspicious cremation site in the entire country of India. Often separated from family and friends, they sit upon piles of...
