Haridwar: Gate of God takes the viewer to the ancient Indian city of Haridwar to experience a family's intimate act spirituality as they mourn the death of their family's patriarch. With the mighty Ganges River as a backdrop, the Kumar family lovingly prepares their beloved father's body for cremation in accordance with timeless Hindu practice of Asthi Visarjan. To them, the Ganges River, the personification of the Devi Goddess Ganga, is sacred and its waters will cleanse away his sins. As they place their father's ashes in the Ganges, they have faith that he will be transported to immortality by the holy river. Few outsiders have been allowed to document such a private act of devotion. In Haridwar: Gate of God , Producer/Director Carl Cimini respectfully shares the sacred cremation experience without being overly intrusive. We share the love and devotion of the family as we watch their beloved's ashes float to immortality on the Ganges amidst a sea of flickering lights representing other departed souls on the blessed journey. The hypnotic Hindu ritual chants of over 30,000 Hindu devotees, recorded live in Haridwar, provide the soundtrack for the poignant Aarti Puja ritual.moreless
