Sunrise on the Ganges

It was still pitch dark in the sky when my wife and I and others got in the boat at the Ganges.  The main ghats were illuminated.  But the glow was eery.  The colours were washed out, turning the scene almost into different shades of grey. 

There were many boats like ours on the river already.  Most people were quiet, absorbing the atmosphere.  Perhaps many of us were still half-asleep.

We could barely see the outline of the many castle-like buildings.  

They did look grand, but the grandeur seemed to have faded. 

There were many dark dots on the river.  They turned out to be seagulls, quietly waiting for something.  

Soon we knew.  When the tourists, many of them from mainland China, started throwing food into the air, the seagulls went into a frenzy. 

The sun came up, revealing the true shape and colours of the many grand buildings along the river. 

It was quite an experience.