"Gods, gurus and Bollywood film idols gaze down from paper posters hanging above the market place. Brightly coloured bunting and shimmering tinsel decorates the shops and market stalls of Rishikesh. Throngs of people roam about, and all over town the crack, report and tremor of fireworks sound throughout the day and night.

The main road is lined with every conceivable trade and filled with honking trucks, buses, taxis and swarms of buzzing motorcycle autorickshaws, all belching fumes, Rishikesh is no longer the quiet holy town of old, which has drawn truth-seekers for countless generations.

With only a few days to go before the Hindu New Year, preparation for the celebration of Divali (the festival of lights) is in full swing. Interested in the festival, though I am, the town is too noisy, dirty and busy for my taste.

With a view to finding accommodation on the other side of the river, I walk the long busy road that leads out of town."

124 pages 48 colour illustrations