....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.

....My travels take me along the Ganga, to Manikarnika burning Ghat, the Aghori ashram, and along the Panchakroshi pilgrimage circuit to undercover a sacred city in the shape of a comic mandala.

....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.

....Aghor is the easy path - a natural and spontaneous state of consciousness. It’s not a cult or a religion. It’s a state of reality you can experience. Aghor is a tantric practice that removes feelings of fear, hatred, disgust or discrimination. It’s the path of utter love and devotion.

....The pilgrimage circuits of Varanasi are a physical expression of a celestial cosmic plan. As a modern yogini running out of time, I jump on the back of Umesh’s scooter and circumambulate the Pancakroshi Yatra in an afternoon.