Varanasi (also known as Benares) is one of the seven holy cities of India. It was built up over 2500 years along the western bank of the Ganges. Tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit Varanasi every day to bathe in the Ganges along one of its many ghats - sections of shoreline with steps leading into the water. The most popular ghat is Desaswamedh Ghat, which sits directly below Varanasi's old town. In this picture you can get a sense of how crowded Desaswamedh Ghat can be, especially around 7am, when this photo was taken.