There are so many Indias: the India of post-colonial confusion you find in the capital; the India of hill stations, forests and tiger trails of the northern provinces; the upstart silicon valleys of Bangalore and Chennai; Goa’s beaches; Agra’s architecture; the list goes on. So where can you find the essence of India, distilled for your convenience in one easy-to-reach destination? All the answers are here. Perhaps.

Varanasi (Benares), the ancient city on the banks of the Ganges is one of the key focuses of Hindu spiritual life. As the river trundles along, you will find all human life from birth to flaming death, nourished by the holy waters that began their journey high in the Himalayas.

A photographer’s dream, the highlight of Varanasi is a stroll or a boat ride along the ghats, the stepped platforms that nestle against the river and serve as stages for rituals, pilgrimages and cremations – not to mention daily baths, washing up, cricket games and kite flying. From sadhus to street urchins, if they’re Indian, you’ll see them here.

You may not necessarily connect with the soul of the subcontinent in the way you imagined, but Varanasi still remains an experience that few visitors regret or forget.