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Capturing The Riveting Ghats Of Benares

Benares, or Kashi, is one of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities and has been a centre of spirituality for centuries. Its ghats, or steps leading to the Ganga River, are equally pious and often bustling with people engrossed in their religious ablutions.

The chaotic yet captivating ghats offer valuable life lessons that appear only to those willing to surrender to the clamour and madness around them. These ghats have inspired many filmmakers, photographers, and artists, each offering their unique interpretation.

Our Varanasi Ghat Artist, or Ganga Jal Artist, as he prefers to call himself. His paintings are an ode to this mesmerising city and its lived reality.

His Varanasi Ghat paintings not only showcase religious imagery but also capture the architecture of the ghats themselves, including the ornate arches of the havelis, the temples, and the pavilions. His paintings show the ghats’ reflections in the water, along with cumulous clouds and birds in the distant sky. The artist uses light and shadow to create a sense of depth and texture in the paintings.

What makes his paintings special is the use of Ganga Jal to create his artwork. He travels to Haridwar every time he makes a painting, as Ganga water from Kashi must not be carried from the city.

His paintings are special because of the artist’s reverence for the sacred ghats and his commitment to his craft.