These are photos of the town of Varanasi or Kashi. Kashi has a legendary place in India's history. It is the city of Lord Shiva, the Destroyer. Here, once can find a temple in every streetcorner. Grand temples, miniscule temples, ancient temples, new temples, family temples, temples for the public. Every kind of god and goddess is worshipped here. Above all these deities of course, is Shiva. The chants of Om Namah Shivaya reverberate loud and clear across the whole city. The city is mentioned in hallowed terms in many Indian scriptures. The Shiv Puran (pdf download) of course, speaks highly of Shiva's city, but even the Vishnu Puran (pdf download) has words of praise for the city and connects it with Hari or Vishnu through some roundabout stories.

The spiritual sciences are still very strongly rooted in the city. Especially the practice of yoga and meditation. One can find hermits, ascetics and common people alike, practicing their yoga every morning on the banks of the ganga. The most popular practice is probably Surya Namaskar, though you also find a lot of people practicing japa or mantra-related practices. Usually, they are seated in ardhasiddha asana, with left heel at the muladhara chakra or perineum (one of the seven main chakras in the body), with a rudraksha in hand, chanting some particular mantra they have been initiated into.