Aarti-Hardiwar, India

We had waited for dark for nearly an hour, sitting on the steps with our feet in the cold water. I shifted back and forth for comfort on the hard surface until the music and chanting started. The sun dropped red behind the buildings and the Ganges flowed fast as the priests lit the torches to the sound of clanking bells. The crowd, packed three deep on the steps, sang with the priests as small leaf and flower candle boats bobbed past us in the current. The burning torches and floating candles reflected swirls of light on the water. A man sitting next to me shook my hand and wished for God to watch over us on our journey.   Hardiwar