By Girish Kumar Dubey
People from across the nation and abroad headed to India's city of temples, Varanasi in northern Uttar Pradesh state to celebrate the New Year in 2012.
Usually people love to party under loud music on New Year's eve but several tourists that were in India chose to visit the 'Ghats' (banks) of Ganga in Varanasi as they wish to watch the lighted ripples in water as people carry out rituals and sing holy hymns.
Speaking to mediapersons a tourist from Holland with a spark on face as he watched people taking out religious processions and singing religious songs said that this year he decided to take a walk along with his friends on the banks of holy river, Ganga.
"This new year I will also go to the Vishva Nath temple and walk along the Ganges, here to see just what happens on the ghats and learn more about the culture," said Yose, a tourist from Holland.
This influx of people in the state has provided the locals an opportunity to register brisk business as they charge according to their whims and fancies.
The star attraction among the tourists is the ferry on the waters of Ganga as the sailors have redecorated the boats especially for the occasion and has provided a groovy ambience to party until midnight.
"All those people from across the nation and abroad who come here to celebrate new year by ferrying on the waters of Ganga, give us a lot of money and there is prior booking of different boats like, small boats, big boats, steamers, house boats. We prepare for this a day or two before, we decorate our boats with balloons, ribbons and flowers. These people travel in these boats and celebrate on it and party," said Vinod Majhi, boat owner.
Moreover the hotels in the city are all overcrowded as tourists have occupied them and have very few options left.
Tourists coming to Varanasi for spiritual enlightenment, perform rituals on the riverbanks known as ghats.
There are 84 ghats in Varanasi, which are visited by a large number of tourists, both domestic and foreign.
Apart from being a huge tourist destination, Varanasi is visited by several international students and scholars to study Indian culture and religion
People from across the nation and abroad visit India's city of temples, Varanasi in northern Uttar Pradesh state to celebrate New Year 2012.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (DECEMBER 31, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)
1. PEOPLE PERFORMING RITUALS ON THE BANKS OF HOLY RIVER GANGA
2. TOURISTS STANDING
3. PEOPLE TAKING A DIP IN WATERS
4. PEOPLE AT THE BANK
5. BOATS AT THE BANK
6. TOURISTS TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS
7. PEOPLE FERRYING ON BOATS
8. PEOPLE STANDING AT THE BANKS
9. PEOPLE STANDING
10. BOATS NEAR THE BANK
11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) YOSE, A TOURIST FROM HOLLAND, SAYING:
"This new year I will also go to the Vishva Nath temple and walk along the Ganges, here to see just what happens on the ghats and learn more about the culture."
12. TOURISTS WALKING
13. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) VINOD MAJHI, BOAT OWNER, SAYING:
"All those people from across the nation and abroad who come here to celebrate new year by ferrying on the waters of Ganga, give us a lot of money and there is prior booking of different boats like, small boats, big boats, steamers, house boats. We prepare for this a day or two before, we decorate our boats with balloons, ribbons and flowers. These people travel in these boats and celebrate on it and party."
14. TOURISTS WALKING
15. TOURISTS STANDING
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