The adjacent old city's a twisting maze of narrow lanes with literally hundreds of temples, some huge and elaborate, others little more than street side idols. The new city's like any other. But down by the ghats it is another world, a bustling holy carnival. Brahmins and sadhus lounge beneath tattered cloth umbrellas as the burning sun beats down. The devout fill the steps, doing puja and praying at the river's edge.
Some kids splash about in the river, others play cricket, others sell postcards.
Barbers give shaves and massages on the steps. Temple bells ring while music blares from another temple and more people surge towards the river. The flamboyant colors and pulsing energy of the place are breathtaking. It is a microcosm of all Hindu India. It is vibrant life and death.