Photo Of The Day: Varanasi Ritual

There are many common motifs in travel photography: sunsets, markets, funny signs that might include unique and amazing images, but are found all over the world. It's the rare photograph that shows us something unusual, perhaps something completely new. Today's Photo of the Day is by Gadling favorite and Flickr user arunchs is from Varanasi, India, capturing the evening ritual of Ganga Aarti. The Hindu religious rite involves an offering of lighted wicks, flowers, and other items to represent the elements, and is performed here on the banks of the river Ganges. It's also interesting to see people in the photo wearing scarves and long sleeves for the chilly nights in Northern India, a country typically associated with scorching temperatures.

Share your unusual travel photos in the Gadling Flickr pool for a future Photo of the Day.

[Photo credit: Flickr user arunchs]

Filed under: Asia, India, Photo of the Day