The dream of a better life brought Durga and her husband to Varanasi from Bengal more than 40 years ago. As with her namesake, Durga can be fiercely independent and a little feisty, still living in the same one room dwelling, a step down from the street and in the midst of a row of similar homes that share a toilet at one end.

A mother of seven, and now a widow for many years, her children are all married and living elsewhere. Her mornings start with collecting drinking water from a nearby house before bathing in the Ganges. And then there is the washing of dishes, earning 1000 rupees a month, from which 300 rupees goes towards her rent.

A well-known character in the area, Durga spends her evenings sitting on the doorstep, watching the comings and goings, gossiping with her neighbours.