The holy face of Lakeside

Every evening, people gather around Barahi Ghat in Pokhara to catch a glimpse of the sacred aarati.

Every very day, at around six in the evening, you’ll see excited faces on the banks of Phewa Lake–their faces lit up like that of concert goers. No, there’s no concert going on. The crowd is actually here for an aarati which is a Hindu ceremony in which lights are lit and offered up to gods. The small space that overlooks the Barahi Temple sees hundreds of people—devotees, passers-by, tourists— every evening. Small benches bear as many as seventy people, but attendees don’t mind standing as they observe the event in an attentive mood.