Banaras: Holy City

The acclaimed photographer Christopher Roche offers a stunning panoramic portrait of Banaras, the spiritual capital of India. Banaras, or "Varanasi" in Hindi, is a Northern Indian city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is also one of the holiest in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cultures. In this large-format book, the landscape and spiritualism of this beautiful city come to life through the lens of award-winning photographer Christopher Roche. Spending two years covering the city’s daily events, Roche turned his lens toward its holy men, temples, shrines, and religious ceremonies. He depicts the ubiquitous lingams and yonis, as well as the city’s fabled burning Ghats—a series of long, wide steps leading to the Ganges. Rarely photographed due to cultural restrictions, Banaras teems with life, color, and emotion. In his large, brilliantly hued images, Roche manages to capture the throbbing vitality of this important city as no one ever has before.

Born in Canada to Irish parents, Christopher Roche grew up in Africa and around Europe. Dividing his time between working as a filmmaker and photographer he is now based in the UK. He has won several awards including the Miramax Scriptwriting Award, a Sony World Photo of the Year National Award 2016, the Wanderlust Photograph of the Year competition 2015 and the Wild Frontiers Photo of the Year 2014. He has had his photos published in the national press and exhibited in the Royal Geographical Society in London and United Nations Office at Geneva. He previously published the book, The Priests and Pilgrims of Ethiopia.