Dawn on the Mother Ganges river.

The city of Varanasi (Benares) is spread along the western bank of the Ganges. This is a holy city for Hindus, who come from afar to bathe in the river, cremate their dead, and, for some, to await death here. Over 100 ghats line the river banks, built by many different benefactors over the centuries.

This is the main 'burning ghat' where cremations take place all day - usually around 100 bodies are burnt each day, and the ashes are tipped into the Ganges. People bring bodies from all over India - it is common to see a body, wrapped in bright cloths, being carried through the streets in procession from the railway station.

This holy man was sat at the Main Ghat throughout the ceremony which takes place by the river each evening.

This wedding ceremony started with a party for the groom, a Bollywood actor, in the grounds of my hotel. The procession then prepared to escort him to the main ceremony. In the background can be seen a number of people wearing vertical fluorescent tubes on their heads, all connected to each other by cables, and to a hand-cart on which were a number of car batteries to power the whole set-up. There was much dancing and a very loud band.