Sumit Basu makes his photographic debut with a refreshing and personal vision of the ancient city of Benaras. The city history and many layers make it a difficult subject to capture, but basu,s closely observed black-and-white images offer penetrating comments on life in this holy city, and skilfully avoid the obvious and the cliched. His sympathetic yet objective treatment invests this series with originality, verve and discrimination. Basu tells a story well. These photographs refresh our jaded senisbility, heretofore overexposed to this supreme tirtha of the Hindus.