Now to begin sharing some of my fabulous India/Nepal adventure with you, as I did with a wonderful group of people on a busy,strenuous, well-worth-it Smithsonian tour of India with a few days of Nepal added.
I’m starting with these amazing photos taken and shared by Richard Buchen, our librarian member. I asked his permission to include them here because they are beautiful in themselves and they tell so much.
In Varanasi we witnessed Diwali at the height of its glory and beauty from a boat on the Ganges. This Hindu celebration of light, representing the victory of good over evil, shines like a combination of Christmas, New Year’s Eve, The Fourth of July, and every other holiday we honor in the U.S. It also brings out the crowds that vastly outdo most of those we might expect in the States.
These two photos shared by Richard are alive with the spirit as we floated down the river in the brightly lighted night as Ganga, the living goddess of the Ganges. ruled over the scene.
To her right reigns Shiva, the destroyer of evil and the transformer, responsible for change through destruction and new creation.
Richard invites you to enjoy some of his other photos.
And I’ll be back with more words and photos.
monagustafsonaffinito 
Love these!!
So glad to hear from you, Maggie. Glad to know you are still “following.” (Will we be seeing you around Christmas time?)
Actually, you could take credit for the photos but it would be like what MPR attributed to Garrison Keillor today. It would be “inappropriate behavior.” What a world, Mona. Where, O where are the psychologists weighing in to cast a greater light on the psychodynamics of sexual harassment? But, I digress. Salutes for telling the truth about the photos!
It’s interesting that you picked up on the “credit” thing. Shows where life is going these days. Did you also enjoy the photo? Anyway, there’ll be more, and thanks for responding.
Yes. Liked the photos. Hope you’re enjoying being back in Lake Wobegon, which is gone. Poof. Gone with the wind. Poof. No more. All flesh is grass… and all that. Anyway, welcome home.
True. A hole has been sliced out of the heart of Minnesota — indeed, the world. What a tragic, mysterious, unpredictable, and exciting world we live in. So much has gone “poof.” Is this the destruction that unveils creativity?
Beautiful and exotic place to be! I love the designs imbedded in the colums and on the temples.
Dear Sharon, leave it to you to see the fine points of the design. And so good to hear from you.