On the banks of the Ganges, mystical citadel dedicated to Shiva, God of Death and source of creation of the World…according to belief, from the hair of Shiva flows the Ganges river, born from the feet of Vishnu and consecrated by Brahma. Along the banks, a maze of back alleys filled with shops, of tourists, of pilgrims, of sacred cows, of children in school uniforms… then the ghats, this is the heart of the city ! 

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   At sunrise, a few Indians carry out their ablution in the sacred water while others sip their first chai of the day.  A few metres further along, men wash their laundry by hand, and lay out the colourful saris on the stairs…  

 

   As the hours go by, the ghats come alive, the small boats go up the Ganges, the fire from the cremation brings out odours of sental wood, the herds of buffalos refresh themselves in the cool Ganges, while children sell postcards and ornaments to tourists, all at once disoriented and charmed, intrigued and enthralled…

 

   As night falls, the bells and carillons of the puja gather together pilgrims and tourists, the small boats quickly fill up with the faithful desiring to offer a candle to Shiva.