The other day, I went to the Varanasi ghat to witness the aarti, a ceremony in which lights are lit and offered up to the Hindu gods.

I happened to meet a young priest, Shubham Pandey alias Bholay Guru, a post graduate from the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi.

Pandey does ‘puja’ (prayers) for devotees. He claimed that his family has been following this tradition for the past 300 years.

You will find him at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, which is the main ghat in Varanasi on River Ganga. It is located next to Dr Rajendra Prasad ghat and near to Kashi Vishwanath tenple. There are two Hindu legends associated with it. According to the first one, Brahma, the Creator, created this ghat to welcome Lord Shiva, and the other one says that Brahma sacrificed ten horses during Dasa-Ashwamedha yajna (special prayers) performed at the ghat.

During our conversation, Pandey recalled his meeting with international basketball player Dwight Howard, the Pixstory brand ambassador and eight-time NBA All Star, who plays for LA Lakers.

“Face impression of Mr Dwight Howard clearly reflected that he was very delighted with the spiritual atmosphere around him that evening,” he said.

“All those who come to Varanasi from abroad get to learn about our culture and faith. I hope Mr Dwight Howard as an international star will help in highlighting our culture at the global level,” added Pandey. “He is going to be our brand ambassador now.”

Pandey must be meeting hundreds of foreigners from different parts of the world during a day, so how does he remember Dwight Howard? To this, Pandey said that he had a distinct personality and he seemed no ordinary person.

It is the mysticism of this ancient city of Kashi and the holy Ganga that draws thousands of devotees to Varanasi every day. Dwight Howard might have been to the holy city for a short while but the memories of his visit will stay with him forever.

Pandey hopes that Dwight Howard visits Varanasi quite often and pays his obeisance to Lord Shiva and the holy Ganga and prays for lasting peace in India and the world.

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