Varanasi Photography Tour
Itinerary
Sample itinerary of our private Varanasi photography tour. Photograph the order within chaos and the never-ending cycle of renewal that is the Cosmos itself.
Varanasi Photography Tour – Sample Itinerary
Day 1: Delhi to Varanasi – Street Photography around the ghats of Varanasi – The evening worship ceremony – Overnight at Varanasi
Board our mid-morning flight from Delhi to Varanasi. Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel. Later that afternoon we head off to the streets around the ghats for some photography there.
As the sun sets we’ll head off to one of the most iconic ghats where we’ll witness and photograph a ritual never to be forgotten: The Evening Aarti on the river Ganges. Photograph throngs of worshipers – faith and devotion writ large on their faces – as they watch a group of young priests perform an elaborate ritual in worship of the holy river. This is a ritual that has remained unchanged since time immemorial; take our word for it – it will remain etched in your memory as an experience that you will never ever forget.
Meals included: Dinner
Day 2: The Crack of Dawn – Head-to-head with the morning rituals – Life on the ghats – Street photography – The Ganga Aarti revisited – Overnight Varanasi
Up before the crack of dawn, we head off to the river ghats where your Varansi Photography Tour leader briefs the boatsman just where exactly we need to be to get the best shots. Hop in and away we go, the boatman puts the pedal to the metal (or should we say “oar to water”?) as he fights the current. Dawn is just about… well, dawning, and the sky is a deep blue with traces of pink as you go about making images of the river and the rows of boats on it that seem to stretch into the yonder.
And then something magical comes to pass: Almost on cue, a conch sounds from somewhere on the banks, the sound reflecting what Hindus believe to be the primordial sound that heralded the very birth of the universe. There is the unmistakable peal of bells from the as the sun crests the horizon. It’s the beginning of a new day – a day of renewal – and that is the very Rhythm of the Cosmos, the very essence of Life itself. Nowhere is it so evident – and celebrated – as it is in Varanasi.
We’ll continue to row down the Ganges, making photographs from our boat of the devotees bathing in the river and life as it unfolds on the ghats. To say you will be moved is an understatement. You will be rocked – to your very core – at the spectacle that unfolds before your eyes. As the sun climbs higher, we do what all good photographers do: head back to our hotel for breakfast. Post lunch we head to the vicinity of the ghats again, exploring the labyrinth of narrow streets and indulging in some serious street photography.
At sundown we return to the ghats to make images of the Ganga Aarti again. The previous evening’s shoot will have familiarized you with the event enough to enable you to plan and make any shots you may have missed.
Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3: Life on the ghats – Return to Delhi
Off we go to the ghats before sunrise again, but this morning has us exploring them from a different perspective. Starting off from a central ghat, we’ll walk the length of the ghats, making images as we go along of the morning worship ceremony. We then wend our way to some bathing ghats where we’ll make some stunning images of people as they approach, take a dip in the river and pay homage to the sun.
As we walk the ghats, your Varanasi Photography Tour leader – a veteran of innumerable photography workshops and tours to Varanasi that he is – will make it a point to halt every so often, bringing to your attention the unique personality and character of key locations. “Here, is where you’ll find the barbers plying their trade; tonsuring the heads of pilgrims who’ve arrived to conduct ceremonies in remembrance of a deceased family member…”, “This stretch is where you’ll find the locals chilling out, engaging in friendly banter, and showing off their expertise in yoga…”, “That there… that’s the washerman’s ghat, keep your eyes peeled for opportunities as they lay out clothes to dry!”. And the list will go on. And on…
And before you know it it will dawn upon you, a sudden epiphany of sorts. An understanding that will take root as you continue to make images before heading back to our hotel. The understanding will deepen by around lunchtime as we head to the airport for your flight back to Delhi. And by then, you’ll have got it… you’ll understand just what inspired Mark Twain to refer to Varanasi as a place “older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”…
There is inherent order within chaos, and there is inherent chaos within order. This leads to the never-ending cycle of destruction & renewal… such is the very nature of The Cosmos. And having experienced – and photographed – precisely that which makes Varanasi, Varanasi…. you’ll know why we call our Varanasi Photography Tour “The Rhythm of The Cosmos”!
Meals: Breakfast
Next: Check out our Varanasi Photo Tours Gallery to get an idea of the type of images you’ll make on our Varanasi Photography Tour. Or, Sign up for our Varanasi Photography Tour
Note: This is a sample itinerary. Your photography tour leader may modify this itinerary as he sees fit.
Translation: This is whole (poorna). That is also whole. From this wholeness arises that wholeness. Even after taking out that wholeness from this one, wholeness only remains. (From The Isha Upanishad)
