The sacred pilgrimage routes, the Ganges River, and the patron deity Shiva together form the cosmic trinity of Varanasi, each providing a tirtha—or metaphorical crossing place—where one may leave the mundane and enter into the world of immortality.

Fires of Varanasi opens at dusk with a ritual on the banks of the Ganges River, its sacred waters offering a purification for the living and salvation for the dead. Through the work, eleven dancers undertake a sacred pilgrimage through shifting landscapes as they seek a mystical connection between the divine and the human. The dancers are engrossed in an ecstatic and communal prayer, the soloists become the "Eternal Pilgrim" seeking a solitary and internalized ritual of sacred contemplation. Ultimately the physical journey transforms into a psychic one.

Darshanam, To See and Be Seen
The fire god, Agni, is the intermediary between gods and humans and a witness of our actions. The blessings of Agni are sought on all solemn occasions, including birth, marriage, and death. He is conceptualized in ancient Hindu texts to exist at three levels—on earth as fire, in the atmosphere as lightning, and in the sky as the sun.

The banks of the Ganges River become the altar to worship the sun every morning, bringing light and life, an end to the actual and metaphoric darkness.

Sankalpam, Conviction to the Deity of Cosmic Balance
Soloist: Ranee Ramaswamy
As the veil of darkness lifts, we prepare to glimpse Shiva, the reigning deity of Varanasi.