Narmada, the holy river in Madhya Pradesh, is highly revered with people following Hinduism. In fact, India has many such rivers, but Ganga and Narmada are probably the most auspicious ones. The everyday 7pm evening Aartis is a treat to watch for.
I was lucky to get a chance to witness the Haridwar Aarti at the popular spot Har-ki-pauri. Having lived in Jabalpur for more than an year now, I somehow was not able to attend the Narmada aarti here due to Covid restrictions. Better late than never, before leaving this place, the Aarti was the only thing left in my travel bucket list.
Gwarighat in Jabalpur is the Banaras like ghat which is on the banks of Maa Narmada river. A large space with temples, roadside eateries, pandits in their typical attires, beautifully decorated boats to help you cross to the other side of the river and even some leisure surfing is the sight that you will witness here.
The Aarti, just like anywhere else, starts sharply at 7PM every evening spreading a stream of positive energy throughout. There is something with the temples and the rituals, when performed in a group with all the necessary etiquettes, fills you with such a positive vibe that you naturally become joyful.
A beautiful thing about Gwarighat is that one can seek blessings in the Ghat temples and Gurudwara at the same time. Just cross the river on the beautiful boats to reach the Gurudwara Gwarighat Sahib. What a serene moment it is!
Take a sneak peak of the Aarti and I bet it will clear your mind from all sorts of worries and stress:
As a ritual, one has to light a small diya and give it to Narmada river by placing it on it. There are many such ready made diyas available for Rs. 5. You should purchase one and light it to offer to Maa Narmada. This completes your puja for the day.
Such events cannot be experienced everywhere and hence places like Hardiwar, Banaras, Prayagraj, Jabalpur and others become the attraction point. Make sure you do experience this in your lifetime and I am sure it will entice you to visit such points again and again!
Read more about Narmada and how she originates here
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