When we watched the sunset ritual from the Ganges river, there were boys with large baskets, hopping to and fro between the boats and offering us flowers with wick, candle-like little objects to ignite and pass into the river as a tribute and blessing of those both with us and not with us. They looked like birds, casually floating between the hovering boats, except these birds held their nests with treasure in their palms. And, inevitably, in a world where they are birds, they are merely chicks. But somehow, this was not as apparent as one might be used to: I saw experience, something far removed from my own, intent and willingness to get what they want and what they need.

by Bunny

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Climbing into the shallow boat, I had to grab hold of our guide’s hand to stop myself from falling into the Ganges River. So imagine my surprise when half an hour later, with probably forty other boats all lined up together with tourists and pilgrims of the like watching the cremation rituals, young children began walking across the rims of the boats, as if they were walking across the water itself.

These vendors, holding baskets of flowers that would soon light up the river with their burning petals, walked with a casual ease of someone performing a well-choreographed dance. As the boats swayed and bumped into each other, the children leapt gracefully from rocking boat to rocking boat to push their products on the tourists, entranced in the rituals they were seeing. They never seemed to fear falling into the polluted river water, but instead they moved seamlessly through a dance that only they knew.

To the watchful viewers of this movement, it seemed like a great risk. To these kids, however, this act was second nature. It was a necessity to make money to live. If they slip into the water, they will lose their merchandise and their customers. This smooth dance is not something they do for fun. It’s a way of life. And that, for the onlooking tourists, just enhances their experience of the rituals. They get an image of the entire picture: the death of elders, moving into freedom from reincarnation, as well as the young children, embracing their life in their city. And that is the beauty of the dance on water; watching people pass over from this life, people celebrating their liberation, and people just beginning their journey of life.

-Tori Mondello

Image of Child with Flowers

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Watching the sunset ritual — an impression.

by Auguste