Modi and January 22: Can Ram temple usher in resurgence with reconciliation? That’s the political test

As far as the eye can see in the dark, Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi dazzles with lights reflecting from the sparkling rendition of the evening aarti, you can only see people. They squat on the steps of the ghat, they stand all around with their children, they crowd the terraces of the buildings, they congregate around the boats tethered there or sit in the big boats, with their shimmering golden and green lights casting their spell on the Ganga.

Five years ago, I had watched the evening aarti at this very spot. Then, there were only a couple of thousand people present – and toilet smells in the background. Last week, there were many times that number, the stench no longer pronounced, colourfully dressed young priests swirled around in sync with the chants amid cries by the crowd, of “Har Har Mahadev”, “Bolo Ganga Maiyya ki Jai” and “Gobind bolo, Hari Gopal bolo”.