....Just before dawn we slip into a small wooden boat and float out on the mighty Ganga. It’s so pleasurable, gently drifting across the water as the city awakens. I can see why devout Hindus refer to Varanasi as ‘Kashi’ – the Luminous One, the City of Light.

....Death on the Ganges. The street leads to the largest burning ghat, Manikarnika. Probably all streets lead to Manikarnika as it is the center of the city. There is a saying in Varanasi that the ghats are not there for the city, but the city exists for the ghats.