Ganges Expedition

 

“The Ganges, above all is the river of India, which has held India's heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges, from her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of India's civilization and culture, of the rise and fall of empires, of great and proud cities, of adventures of man (…)” Jawaharlal Nehru

A journey through some of the key cultural and historical landmarks of the Indian subcontinent, the Ganges Expedition takes us from Delhi, across northern India, through Haridwar and Varanasi – two of the holiest pilgrimage sites in India - and on to Kolkata and the Sunderbans. Forming the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world, the Sunderbans lie at the mouth of the River Ganges, India’s holiest river and are home to the world’s largest single population of Royal Bengal tigers. Our journey culminates in Agra, where we will have the privilege of seeing and photographing the Taj Mahal at night, during the full moon.

Originating in an ice cave in the southern slopes of the Himalayas, the mighty River Ganges flows eastwards through the Northern plains of India for 2506 km before draining into the Bay of Bengal, where its waters combine with those of the Brahmaputra River to form the largest delta in the world. If, as a perennial source of water providing irrigation to a vast area, the Ganges is instrumental to the agricultural economy of India, it occupies an equally central place in the Indian system of beliefs. The River Ganges is mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the earliest of the Hindu scriptures, and is sacred to Hindus who revere it as the goddess Ganga. Bathing in the Ganges is believed to wash away one’s sins; indeed, many Hindus believe that life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganges at least once in their lifetime.

As tirthas, sacred river crossings that facilitate the transition between the mundane and the divine, the holy towns of Haridwar, in the State of Uttarnachal, and Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, are considered by Hindus to be two of the most auspicious places on the Ganges in which to bathe. Meaning “Gateway to God”, Haridwar stands where the Ganges leaves the Himalayas and enters the Indo-Gangetic Plain to begin its long journey across northern India to the Bay of Bengal. The focal point of our visit to Haridwar will be the evening ceremony of Ganga Arati, in which the life-bestowing quality of the Ganga is celebrated with an elaborately choreographed fire display.

Further along the course of the river, stretched along its west banks, the ancient city of Varanasi, also known as Benares, is considered by many to be the holiest of all pilgrimage sites in India. Known to the devout as Kashi - the Luminous – it draws scores of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pilgrims. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, offering truly spectacular photographic opportunities. In the words of the American writer Mark Twain, “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

Our journey will then continue to Kolkata (Calcutta), the capital of the State of West Bengal. The city owes it creation to its position along the east bank of the River Hooghly, a distributary of the Ganges; it was through this river that the East India company sailed into Bengal and established their trade settlement at Calcutta, which later grew to become the capital of the British Raj and the greatest colonial city of the Orient. Aptly described by the author Geoffrey Moorehouse as “both monstrous and marvellous”, modern-day Kolkata is a vibrant and beguiling city, which presents the photographer with a distinct set of challenges.

South of Kolkata, the Hooghly empties into the Bay of Bengal, where it fringes a huge expanse of mangrove-covered islands known as the Sunderbans, or “beautiful forest”, a unique ecosystem that lies in the Ganges Delta, between India and neighbouring Bangladesh. A UNESCO World heritage site, the Sunderbans provide a critical habitat for numerous species of animals and are the only place where tigers are known to have adapted to living in a habitat that requires them to swim. Following the Ganges to the place where it joins the ocean, we will visit the Sunderbans for two days, for a chance to see one of these magnificent animals and experience an environment which differs totally from the other destinations on the itinerary.

Our journey includes one more spectacular site, the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, in the mid- 17th century. Described by the poet Rabindranath Tagore as a “tear on the face of eternity” and broadly considered the finest example of Mughal Architecture, the Taj Mahal is, quite simply, one of the world’s most magnificent buildings. Our visit to the Taj is timed to coincide with the full moon, for the opportunity to capture this iconic structure in a less common light.

 

Dates: TBA
This Expedition begins and ends in Delhi, India. Dates refer to actual days on the ground (13 nights).
Expedition Leader: Dariusz Klemens
Participants: 4-8
Cost: £ 3400
Includes: Tuition. 13 nights accommodation, on twin-share basis, with breakfast daily. Transfers between cities by train, in air-conditioned sleeper. Translator and local guides. All entrance fees.

 

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