Varanasi - the heart of spiritual tourism in India

Don't be surprised if your heart misses a beat in Varanasi. Also known as Benares and Kasi, it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and the nation's spiritual core. In character it can be best described by a word Indian polity now treats with cirumspect derision: secular. It is here that great saints were born - from Sant Kabir to Ravidas. It is here that the great traditions of Hindustani classical music still thrive. This is a place where faith stirs in the soul and where the mortal coil is laid to rest and allowed to become one with the elements. A river runs through it. No ordinary river, this is the great Mother Ganges herself. In fact, the name of the city comes from her two tributaries - Varuna and Asi - that flow through the city. The Rigveda refers to the city as Kasi, the City of Light, founded by none other than Lord Shiva himself. The Kasi Viswanath temple here has one of the 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is also an important centre of Islam, with a number of mosques and a vibrant Muslim community.

Pilgrims and tourists alike flock to Varanasi. In fact, historical records hold that the earliest tourists began to visit Varanasi during the 16th century. From the American man of letters Mark Twain in 1897 to the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, they all came to India. Today, the last hippies visit Varanasi for a whiff of the India of their imagination. The city is also a photographer's laboratory, offering a feast of colour and humanity and vibrant frames in every view.

A new aspect to Varanasi is poll tourism. With the stage set for the most drummed-up battle of the Indian electorate - between political heavyweights Prime Minister-aspirant Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party - Varanasi is attracting a different breed of tourist. Nearly a million tourists have visited the city since January this year. Specialised tour groups lead tourists around the city offering them a 'feel of the election fever' gripping Varanasi.

Enjoy these images from Varanasi.