US-Irish quartet performs ancestors 'shradh' on Ganga Ghat

Michael Mcgarry and Michael Dwyer, company director and graphic designers respectively from Dublin (Ireland) and Ben Collins and Josh, IT professors from the US, dressed in white 'dhotis' performed the 'shradh' under the supervision of 11 priests led by Bechu Mishra at the Tulsi Ghat.

The westerners, aged between 40 and 55 years, performed the 'shradh' for the peace of their dead ancestors on the first day of 'Pitrapaksha' -- a fortnight of Hindi calender when it is believed that souls of dead ancestors troupe down to their successors dwellings.

The four-hour religious exercise was performed near the Hanuman temple, where Goswami Tulsidas is believed to have scripted the famous epic 'Ramcharitmanas.' ''This puja symbolises that materialistic west craving for spiritual peace can only be fulfilled at Hindu religious hotspots especially Kancheepuram and Kashi,'' said Ben Collins, who ten years back, launched a website www.pujanet.com to help westerners troupe down to India in search of spiritual peace.

''West is materially rich but spiritually empty and this is an effort to satiate the quest of west for spiritual peace,'' Collins added.

It was the seventh time that Collins had arranged a trip for spiritually thirsty westerners to India, but the very first time that such a visit was managed by him to Varanasi. ''Prior to this we only frequented Kancheepuram and this is the first time my group which strongly believes in rendering peace to our dead ancestors through Hindu rituals was in Varanasi,'' he added.

Concurring his viewpoint, compatriot Michael Dwyer maintained ''we have not performed the 'shradh' on advice of local priests, but purely out of a deep rooted belief that such ceremonies will render peace to the soul of our ancestors. Despite being Christians we believe in these ceremonies just as much as the Hindus believe.'' Prior to performing the 'shradh' on the banks of the sacred river, the western quartet had performed a five-day 'Rudra Shakti Yajna' at the Shool Tankeshwar Temple in Tarapur Tikri area of the city.

Semester Abroad in India

Hotels

Taj Ganges Varanasi Nadesar Palace Grounds
VARANASI in 221002

	Location. Located in the city center of Varanasi, India, the Taj Ganges Benares sits within six kilometers of Vishwanath Temple and the River Ganges. Babatpur Airport is 22 kilometer from the hotel. The hotel provides airport transportation for a fee.
Hotel Features. Guests escape to the Taj Ganges Benares for a relaxing haven from the bustling city. Large mural paintings of the rituals of the Ganges line the walls of the lobby. An outdoor pool, tennis court, jogging track and spa are all located on-site. Recreational activities include a palmist and bird watching. A complimentary continental and Indian buffet breakfast is offered each morning. Chowk Restaurant provides a coffee shop and multi-cuisine fare, while Varuna dishes up Indian cuisine and Princep Bar supplies icy cocktails. For those traveling on business, the hotel's business center, conference facilities, event catering, wireless Internet access for a fee, secretarial services and banquet space are available. Thoughtful amenities include 24-hour room service, tour assistance, complimentary valet parking, limo/town car service, dry cleaning, currency exchange and concierge services. Guestrooms. Each of the guestrooms is accessible via exterior corridors and features hardwood flooring. Amenities include bathrobes, coffeemaker, minibar, refrigerator and jetted tub. Wireless Internet access is available for a fee. Complimentary extras provided are bottled water, newspapers and designer toiletries.

Ganga Grace

Ganga Grace is an accomplished classical Bharatnatyam dancer. A native of Croatia, Ganga has spent most of her life abroad, namely in Germany, India and USA. She has performed in India, Germany, Holland, Spain, Poland and Croatia. She has also conducted Bharatnatyam classes at the largest international dance workshop of Eastern Europe in Poland. In her performances she presents pieces which deal with relevant spiritual and philosophical concepts of mysticism. She has also done experimental work in collaboration with Joshna La Trobe (as part of the band Hummm) - choreographies in which she combines elements of indian classical dance, ballet and jazz.

"Faultless in rhythm, well-etched in Adavus and subtle in abhinaya, this delineation clearly established in her mettle. The tightly woven jathis were matched by adroit footwork and it can be said without exaggeration that for a full half hour, the audience sat spellbound," reported The Statesman (an Indian daily), after a recent performance by Ganga in New Delhi.