Kashi: The Abode of Shiva

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Many experienced photographers have visually documented Varanasi in the past. Interestingly, none of their publications had images of the city's most revered attraction, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The simple reason is that photography inside most of the prominent Hindu temples in India is prohibited. Kashi: The Abode of Shiva breaks the pattern.

Through intensive fieldwork and exhaustive research, the author, in a first-of-a-kind endeavour, brings to the fore an unprecedented visual journey of one of the most important Hindu shrines-the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. In addition to documenting the temple's ritualistic and festive activities, the book fosters a distinctive blend of stories that intertwine mythology with history, all centred on the city's presiding deity.

This contributes significantly to the vibrant celebration of the spirit of Kashi, enriching its ritual and sacred landscape.

VIJAY RANA is a journalist, photographer and filmmaker based in London. After completing his education in history, he began his professional career as a lecturer at DAV College, Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh. Post this stint, he moved to the University of Allahabad. Having earned his D. Phil., he went on to join the BBC Hindi Service in Bush House, London, in 1982, where he rose to become its radio editor. More than two decades later, he voluntarily left the BBC to explore new creative horizons.

In his long journalistic career, he interviewed many Indian politicians, eight of whom rose to become the prime ministers of India. He has written extensively for The Indian Express, India Today, BBC Online, The Times of India and many Hindi newspapers like Dainik Jagran, Dainik Hindustan and Prabhat Khabar. In 2012, his contribution to Hindi journalism was honoured by Government of India's 9th World Hindi Conference, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He has produced four documentary films for India's premier television, Doordarshan.

He has been filming the city of Varanasi since February 2017 and has recently produced a documentary called Banaras: The Story of India's Sacred City. Its Hindi version is named as Kashi Ki Amar Kahani.