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Tourists enjoy boat ride in Ganga
by Girish Kumar Dubey

     Varanasi: Tourists have always felt drawn to places known for their historical or religious significance. A visit to Varanasi, the holy city, during this tourist season offers a delight of different sort, especially for the music lovers. Many local classical musicians are eliciting tourists by organising evening shows that can be enjoyed while riding a boat on the River Ganges.

    Recently, a group of about 35 tourists comprising natives of Japan, Austria, Australia and Israel had a live experience of Indian classical music while riding a boat. A small group of local musicians carrying traditional Indian musical instruments like Sarangi, Tabla and Sitar gave the tourists a taste of Indian classical music, as all of them visited various banks of River Ganges during a three-hour boat ride. The ambience in the backdrop of temples was an unforgettable joy for everyone of the group. "It was very good. We could watch Gangaji (the River Ganges), all around us. It was very delightful and felt magical experience. I think one can experience the soulful experience only in Varanasi," said, Mikki a Japanese tourist. The boat ride also provides a panoramic view of activities on these embankments from ablution to workout of a multitude of people for whom the river is all about their lives. It is a common knowledge that Varanasi is also popular for its classical musical tradition. The city has produced some of the doyens of India's classical music - both vocal and instrumental, including Shehnai maestro late Bismillah Khan. It isn't unusual to find tourists taking up crash courses in classical music in Varanasi, the place also famous for its cultural heritage. The city has nearly two-dozen prominent classical singers, who are training a number of students from across the globe in Indian classical music. Varanasi is the most visited pilgrimage destination in India. A large number of tourists throng the city during festivals, usually from September to December. The astrologers, whose predictions based on palm leave parasols, religious rituals, exquisite brassware and silk attracts millions of visitors to Varanasi. For Hindus, the place is considered sacred and an ideal place for cremation ceremonies or other rites. It is believed that the water of the River Ganges is the fluid medium of Lord Shiva. A dip in the river is believed to wash away all of one's sins. Tourist arrivals in India rose 11.4 per cent in November from a year earlier.
-Dec 17,  2006

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