The boat of devotion
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Description
The Hindu religion as a practice requires many prayer items to showcase one’s devotion. These items range from simple accessories like the rosary beads and the rudraksh mala to elaborate baskets full of incense sticks and flowers. These are offered to the gods in hopes of making the higher power happy. In Prayagraj (Allahabad), many small vendors can be seen selling small paper boats filled with such devotional items like incense sticks, candles, and flowers. Devotees buy these to praise the holy river, Ganga. After the arti or prayer, these small paper boats are left to flow in the river. Many times there are so many boats that one can not even see the water but rather just a layer of boats and boats alone. This practice is a marker of appreciation of the river goddess from its devotees but has led to tremendous pollution in the Ganga.
Project Title
The Ganga Project
DOCUMENT TYPE
image
Identifier:
ALL_010
Related Term
Fairs and Festivals
Related place
Allahabad
USE RESTRICTIONS
In Copyright
RIGHTS HOLDER
INTACH
