A morning at the Ganges

Pigeon Suicide, as Nick called it. We are not sure what this is about, or the backstory I should say, but it is of high worth for a picture.

One of the many puppies we have sympathy for. They are so tiny and I just want to take them home and feed them...sort of.

These are some great people. We went on our boat ride with them. The guy on the left is from the brahmin caste (high caste) and became a believer but he still dresses traditionally, etc.

We saw these two women with their babies; they were very fancy in clothing and beautiful. They were there to "dedicate" I guess you could say, their babies to the river.

You can buy these plastic bottles and fill them up with water. Many people do and they save them for a year so that if there is any sickness/health issues in that family they can sprinkle that water on them or themselves to be healed.

This is a painting of Shiva, this is the main god that is worshipped here. The Ganga river is believed to flow from his head and they want to drink/bathe in that sweet nectar as I have heard it.

We got out of the boat and walked down part of the river. So many colors, I loved it!

You can see above a fire. This is one of the many ceremonies or "cremations" that are happening. They make a mini bonfire type thing and they put the bodies inside. It was quite a surreal feeling when we passed these sites.

You can see the wood stacked up. This is for the burning of bodies at the river. Many people get brought to the river so they can be burned, we saw a dead man who was being wrapped and covered in flowers at the river so that he could then be burned.

A falling temple. There's definitely a story behind it, but it is long.

A boat getting attacked by a flock of birds. Good thing it was not ours!

All the beautiful colors of India. This is the scenic route alongside the River. Many temples, hotels, etc.

Above: men, (like hindu priests) sit and do their own type of worship services.

Boats everywhere.

Sites along the river, these are different "ghats"

These are the sites that hurts my heart to watch. Women bathing in the holy river, washing their sins away.

Cows. everywhere still yet. Even, or perhaps especially at the Ganga.

Above: People sitting on the steps of the Ganga finishing/starting bathing. There are miles of steps that lead into the water. It is truly an amazing place to see.

This past Sunday we took a boat ride down the Ganges River, the holiest river in India. It was quite an experience on many different levels. For one, there is the historical side. Hearing out guide talk about the Kings that have reigned in this city, the religions founded here, etc. The amount of people that worship and bathe in this river is unreal. Devoted Hindus come to this river to be cleansed by the "holy water." People from all of the world come to this river to worship; this is the city that every Hindu desires to die in because they can directly go to heaven. As I was boating down this river I almost didn't know how to pray, as ridiculous as that is. There were just so many people that need to hear the Good New of Jesus Christ. To see people desperately begging their gods to save them and to appease them by offering sacrafice...my heart breaks and it is a helpless feeling I guess. It is at this point I have to remind myself that Jesus can do anything that He wants; He is ALL powerful. It was a beautiful morning on the river; we had an opportunity to go to the other "vacant" side of the river and sing praises to our God and to pray over this city with fellow believers. It was amazing. God is so good, and I pray, oh I pray that He will become known over ALL of these other gods that are being worshipped...that He would heal this land.