As darkness falls on the Ganges, India's most sacred river, Hindu priests, known as pundits, perform the aarti ceremony on its banks. Torches are waved before the deities in a spirit of humility and gratitude -- a Hindu form of communal prayer. I made this image with a telephoto lens, shooting at night from a boat in the Ganges. The coil of smoke that snakes into the overhead darkness has a spiritual quality to it – it begins with man and ends as vapor in the overhead darkness. Other tourists were firing flashes at the scene, but I used whatever light was at the scene to tell the story in a natural way. A dimly seen audience watches in silence as the chanting of the priest echoes over Varanasi’s sacred Dasashvamedha Ghat. Incongruously contrasting to this holy moment are such secular details as a sign for a coffee house featuring “Chinise” food, and a brilliantly illuminated window displaying clothing for sale. Such is the nature of India. Faith and commerce exist side by side.