Haridwar & Rishikesh

 Haridwar looking misleadingly peaceful in the afternoon

Pilgrims from Rajasthan who asked me for my picture and I took theirs in exchange

Much of the Ganges is diverted for cleaning, so the pilgrims are making due with the little water they've got

This picture was taken from my hotel, right on the Ganges and had huge tainted windows, which allowed me to watch the world go by, unnoticed. For hours, these beggars stayed on the steps, smoking weed. The hotel staff told me they make quite a killing in earnings from pilgrims feeling extra generous during their visit to holy Haridwar.

Aarti ceremony in Haridwar at night 

 Pooja (prayer) at the aarti ceremony

My flower and light offering on its way down the Ganges

Beautiful Rishikesh

Kids playing in the chilly waters of the Ganges

Holy cow

Quite the entrepreneur: this kid was charging 5x the price for flowers that I saw elsewhere. He knew that gullible foreigners would fall for his six-year-old-cuteness and would pay the outrageous $1.

Rishikesh

Rishikesh

View from my $9/night hotel room

Chaat vendor on the trip from Haridwar to Chandigarh (he was very happy I asked him if it was OK to take his picture - he posed for me in several different settings)