Life inside Dera Sacha Sauda is underpinned by peaceful satsangs and boisterous Roobaroo Nights, where Gurmeet Ram Rahim makes an appearance like a rock star on his superbikes.

Yashoda Dasi came to Mathura to seek refuge in Lord Krishna’s abode after she lost her family. Forty years on, she has earned the moniker of the protector of cows after she donated ₹61 lakh to a gaushala.

In Varanasi’s death hostels, the hope of achieving nirvana keeps alive people like Gulab Bai, who have been staring death in the face for decades.

In Uttar Pradesh’s election cycle, distributing hooch among rural voters is as important as campaigning. Part-time moonshiners like Nishad are the small cogs in this giant wheel.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Pokar village, the dead don’t leave the house.

For four tense months in 1984, two of Lucknow’s premier kite clubs had a stand-off.

The demonetisation drive meant to target black money hoarders had an unfortunate casualty – the brides of Uttar Pradesh, whose parents could no longer pay their dowries.

Naachghar was the birthplace of modern Hindi drama. But its storied past proved to be no safeguard against its present state of decline and decrepitude.