VARANASI – COSMIC CITY OF DEVOTION

SYNOPSIS

Varanasi, the cosmic city, known to Hindus as Kashi, the City of Light, lies nestled along the banks of the River Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, India. They say it is built on the palm of Shiva, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities, and considered to be the Lord of Dance and Music. Writer, photographer and broadcaster Liz Thompson travelled to Varanasi and was inspired there by the intensity of devotion made manifest through sound and music.

In the streets and bazaars, along the river banks, in the temples, shrines and concert halls, everywhere flows the sound of a reaching toward the divine. In this evocative feature, Liz takes the listener on a walk along the banks of the river Ganges to experience the richly musical soundscape and its focused intention. It is accompanied by an online slideshow of her images.

The devotional music and sound are illuminated by musicians Bobby Singh, Sarangan Sriranganathan, Mono, and Ram Chandra Pandit.

Producer and narrator Liz Thompson
Sound engineer Mark Don
Executive producer Robyn Ravlich
Readings Dharmony