Though officially abolished decades ago, the caste system still profoundly influences life in India. Those born into high castes enjoy greater privileges, while low-caste individuals, like the Doms, ...

Their lives are deeply entwined with the river Ganges, but Varanasi’s mallah community say they have been overlooked, reports Uday Narayanan. Varanasi, India. ‘Hum paani ke jeev hain. We are creatures ...

Worshippers and tourists sit on boats facing the bank of the Ganges River in the holy Hindu city of Varanasi to watch the Ganga Aarti, a ritual of devotion to the venerated river. Hindu priests wave ...

When I arrived in Varanasi, I was clueless. The first thing I did was walk down to the river – the fabled River Ganges, the holiest waters of India. As a novice solo traveler, I innocently put my feet ...

One day in January 2015, black crows began to fill the gray sky like wild brushstrokes, so a group of villagers decided to investigate. The birds were circling something, and as the villagers ...

For millions of Hindus, the 250-mile stretch of Ganges River between the cities of Kanpur and Varanasi is one of the most sacred parts of the northern plains of India. This stretch of the Ganges ...