Within the coronary heart of Varanasi, Chita-Bhasma Holi is a profound custom that transcends the standard festivities. Devotees, together with sadhus and Aghoris, collect at Manikarnika Ghat, a spot the place life and demise intersect, to play Holi with the ashes from the cremation pyres. This ritual is devoted to Lord Shiva, the deity who’s believed to reside in Varanasi, the town of salvation. The devotees are followers of Shiva, embracing his elements as each the destroyer and the rejuvenator. They smear the sacred ashes on their our bodies, celebrating the cycle of life and demise, and expressing their devotion to Shiva, who is claimed to go to the cremation grounds throughout this time to partake within the festivities. This distinctive celebration presents a ghostly sight because the holy males roam the streets, including a surreal dimension to the festivities.
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