The Divine Balance
A woman clasps a brass bowl that holds sacred water representing the Goddess. She prays to the first rays of the Sun, seen as a God. Daily acknowledgement of the two honors the absolute balance of existence: male and female, wrong and right, black and white, good and evil.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Individual Prayers
Hinduism embraces both conformity and individuality, and the forms of prayer are as varied as the numbers of devotees. This college professor of engineering strikes a dancer's pose each morning when he prays to the rising sun, viewed as a male deity. With his right hand he pours water from a vessel to honor the feminine element.
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh

Daily Prayers
A taxi driver lights incense to an image of the Goddess Kali installed upon the dashboard of his car. Similarly, drivers of virtually every vehicle in India-motor rickshaws, cars, trucks and buses-daily acknowledge the deity that they believe will protect their journeys.
Calcutta, West Bengal

"Morning Prayers: Sunrise on the Ganges" is a short video featuring the ambient music of Steve Gorn. You will need to have the Real Player installed on your computer to access this file. If you don't have a Real Player, you can download it here.