"Becoming a mother makes you the mother of all children. From now on each wounded, abandoned, frightened child is yours. You live in the suffering mothers of every race and creed and weep with them. You long to comfort all who are desolate." (Charlotte Gray - British born Canadian historian and author, 1948) Since a while I see many new couples coming from villages to the ghats of Varanasi (Benaras) in order to get blessings the day after their wedding. Most of the time they reach early in the morning with their families. They look tired as they didn’t sleep since two days, they are still wearing party garments and some have been adding an extra layer of heavy make-up providing some kind of artificial features. Musicians are playing dhols (double-headed drum) and trumpets. Before worshipping to the holy waters of the Ganges they visit the little mandir (temple) located at Shitla ghat. On the way the groom’s mothers keep throwing themselves on the ground, they get up and fall again till they reach the Shiva lingam in the temple. This is the ultimate act of love and devotion in order to win the promises of success, prosperity and happiness for the new couples. The sons are following with eyes full of tears, they walk slowly tied with a knot between their bride's duppata (scarf) and their scarves which symbolize the bond between them... Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography © All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved. Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use). The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences. http://flic.kr/p/eLYRHj