{"source_url": "https://sputniknews.com", "url": "https://sputniknews.com/asia/202001011077913401-treat-for-the-eyes-holy-welcome-to-new-year-at-banks-of-ganges-in-pm-modis-varanasi/", "title": "Treat For the Eyes: Holy Welcome to New Year at Banks of Ganges in PM Modi\u2019s Varanasi", "top_image": "https://cdn3.img.sputniknews.com/images/101525/12/1015251284.jpg", "meta_img": "https://cdn3.img.sputniknews.com/images/101525/12/1015251284.jpg", "images": ["https://sputniknews.com/services/captcha/", "https://cdn5.img.sputniknews.com/images/107568/52/1075685251.png", "https://cdn3.img.sputniknews.com/images/101525/12/1015251284.jpg", "https://mc.yandex.ru/watch/35001705", "https://cdn3.img.sputniknews.com/images/107790/74/1077907434.jpg", "https://sputniknews.com/services/counter/?project=&obj_id=1077913401&obj_type=article&action_type=&ts=1577874427", "http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=15352215&cv=2.0&cj=1", "https://cdn5.img.sputniknews.com/images/107787/40/1077874001.jpg", "https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/avatar-default.png", "https://cdn5.img.sputniknews.com/images/101525/12/1015251276.jpg", "https://mc.yandex.ru/watch/26863203"], "movies": [], "text": "New Delhi (Sputnik): There is an Indian tradition of welcoming the New Year at the banks of the Ganges with prayers. It\u2019s a major annual draw for tourists from India and abroad. The ceremony includes the lighting of lamps, invoking the divine through hymns and offering obeisance to the holy river regarded as a goddess in Hinduism.\n\nBraving the nearly freezing temperature at dawn, several priests in Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s parliamentary constituency Varanasi welcomed the New Year 2020 at the banks of the holy river Ganges in India\u2019s Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.\n\n#WATCH Ganga Aarti in Varanasi on the first morning of the year 2020 #NewYear pic.twitter.com/RBRigvm3av \u2014 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 1, 2020\n\n\u200bWhile some chose to celebrate the beginning of the New Year with a bang in clubs, restaurants, and resorts, a huge crowd emerged at the banks of Ganges praying for a prosperous and peaceful New Year for their loved ones.\n\nCladded in saffron robes, priests lit big brass lamps and offered flowers to the holy river. The enchanting sound of hymns and cymbals made the environment a divine and auspicious beginning to 2020.\n\nThe significance of the prayers that are organised here every day is such that even Prime Minister Modi himself, on various occasions, has participated and performed Aarti (prayers) on the banks of the Ganges.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["India", "Ganga Aarti", "New Year Ganga Aarti at Varanasi", "PM Modi Ganga Prayers", "Varanasi Ghat"], "tags": ["India", "Narendra Modi", "Ganga River", "New Year"], "authors": [], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "New Delhi (Sputnik): There is an Indian tradition of welcoming the New Year at the banks of the Ganges with prayers. It\u2019s a major annual draw for tourists from India and abroad.\u00a0 The ceremony includes the lighting of lamps, invoking the divine through hymns and offering obeisance to the holy river regarded as a goddess in Hinduism.", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "/i/sputnik.png", "meta_data": {"description": "New Delhi (Sputnik): There is an Indian tradition of welcoming the New Year at the banks of the Ganges with prayers. 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It\u2019s a major annual draw for tourists from India and abroad.\u00a0 The ceremony includes the lighting of lamps, invoking the divine through hymns and offering obeisance to the holy river regarded as a goddess in Hinduism.", "image": "https://sputniknews.com/sharing_snippet/1077913401.png?1577860680"}, "fb": {"app_id": 799135720145118, "pages": 357990416180}, "apple-itunes-app": "app-id=969452947, app-argument=com.sputniknews://article?issuer_id=17&issuer_article_id=1077913401", "google-play-app": "app-id=com.sputniknews.sputnik", "og": {"title": "Treat For the Eyes: Holy Welcome to New Year at Banks of Ganges in PM Modi\u2019s Varanasi", "url": "https://sputniknews.com/asia/202001011077913401-treat-for-the-eyes-holy-welcome-to-new-year-at-banks-of-ganges-in-pm-modis-varanasi/", "type": "website", "description": "New Delhi (Sputnik): There is an Indian tradition of welcoming the New Year at the banks of the Ganges with prayers. It\u2019s a major annual draw for tourists from India and abroad.\u00a0 The ceremony includes the lighting of lamps, invoking the divine through hymns and offering obeisance to the holy river regarded as a goddess in Hinduism.", "image": {"identifier": "https://cdn3.img.sputniknews.com/images/101525/12/1015251284.jpg", "width": 700, "height": 440}}, "lastmod": "2020-01-01T10:19:11Z", "pubdate": "2020-01-01T09:38:00Z", "url_type": "usual"}, "canonical_link": "https://sputniknews.com/asia/202001011077913401-treat-for-the-eyes-holy-welcome-to-new-year-at-banks-of-ganges-in-pm-modis-varanasi/"}