Arjun Kamath Instagram – This is a city where peace and chaos meet. Where ashes rise, and virtues breathe. Her streets are coloured with stories untold, Some sights to ponder and some to behold. And no matter how inward you go, how deep you dive. You’ll forever find treasure but never arrive. Varanasi, to me, is a city that never ends. It is as if the city’s stories, people, events, and mysteries have been playing an ages-old game of tag– always being passed on but never coming to an end. On my recent visit, I had the chance to rise early on with the city and make myself a part of its humdrum. On a dewy Wednesday morning, I awoke at 4:30 in the morning, looking forward to the soothing boat ride from Dasashwamedha to Assi Ghat. A serenading hour in the boat and a blissful arati later, I found myself in the winding gullies just close to the Manikarnika Ghat. With a choice of a new path after every dozen steps, Varanasi unfolds slowly and amusingly in these serpentine streets. I admired the soft light that painted the morning tender with a left turn here and a right turn there. The locals chattered away about their mohallas and the affairs of the city, pausing every once in a while to relish the ring of a temple bell somewhere. An ever-changing cluster of cows, street dogs, and fragile-looking two-wheelers kept me company as I walked without a motive, simply taking in the distinct way of life that Benaras is known for. At one of these many turns, I came across this gentleman sitting on a tiny stone porch, sipping his morning tea without a care for the world. In the chaos of the city’s everyday events, he seemed to have built his own pocket of peace. And at this sight, I couldn’t help but admire the character on his face and the textures and colours that enveloped him. As I took hold of my camera to take a picture of him, an unbeknownst cow happened to walk right into the frame, as if quietly claiming her presence. Smiling, I thought how perfectly this captured the raw and free-spirited essence of Varanasi and clicked the shutter button on my camera. #CapturedOnCanon with a @canonindia_official EOS R5 with a RF 24-70mm F2.8 Lens #arjunkamathphotography #varanasi #portrait #india Varanasi, India