Women are very much custodians of tradition in Banaras. Even in the cold month of Magh, they come at sunrise to bathe in the river and offer flowers, light, incense and water to the 10 Shivlings and the images of Hanuman, Vishnu and the goddess beneath the pipal tree on Assi Ghat. In temples, in innumerable shrines and all along the riverbank, similar offerings are made. Exquisite images dot every part of the city. Even a simple orange stone decorated with two white eyes with black pupils can astound you with its beauty. The 20th-century artist and scholar Alice Boner, who settled in Banaras, explained their impact by saying, “The primary purpose of sacred images is not to give aesthetic enjoyment, but to serve as focal points for the spirit. They should, and that is their ultimate intent, lead back to meditation and the comprehension of that transcendent reality from which they were born. If they are beautiful, it is because they are true.”