Rituals on the Ganges begin before dawn, while mist blurs the contours of the sacred ghats, enveloping the shrines behind them in a mysterious half-light. The best vantage point from which to savour the spectacle is a rowing boat on the water itself. Chanting, drumming and the ringing of temple bells intensifies as the sun rises, casting the holy steps and their backdrop of sanctuary towers, pennants and parasols in a sublime glow.