MATTEO MAIMONE

Varanasi and Amritsar—two sacred cities, two worlds suspended between devotion and everyday life, between the sacred and the profane. Varanasi awakens at dawn, as the first devotees immerse themselves in the waters of the Ganges, whispering prayers and chanting rituals. The ghats glow in hues of orange and gold, while the smoke from funeral pyres drifts into the incense-laden air. In the narrow alleys, merchants bustle about, selling steaming chai and vibrant fabrics, while the penetrating gazes of sadhus and beggars tell stories of faith and survival. In Amritsar, the sunset sets the streets ablaze in shades of red and amber. The Golden Temple shimmers on the water’s surface, while life unfolds around market stalls overflowing with fragrant sweets, spices, and colorful textiles. Voices blend into the hum of the bazaar, where traders haggle and pilgrims seek blessings. At night, the colors shift—flickering neon lights, fleeting shadows, the magic of an India that never sleeps. This reportage is a sensory journey through light and contrast, through life flowing in the rivers and pulsating in the streets, capturing the raw essence of India: chaotic, mystical, and irresistibly alive.