This ghat, a series of steps leading to the Ganges, is Varanasi's holiest spot. Bathers throng the steps in the morning, priests perform ritual prayers here for pilgrims, and the aarti prayer ceremony is held here every evening. It is also a docking place for the small boats that carry visitors down the Ganges. The mural like image, made from a boat, is a festival of color and detail, encouraging study and thought. It offers a cross section of religious and secular life. Although there are well over 100 people in this picture, my own eye keeps coming back to the woman who stands alone in the center of the frame. She holds her sari over her head and seems to be at prayer.