Murali Mohan Sastry has a death wish. Nearly 11 years ago, he and his wife left behind their comfortable lives in India’s southern city of Hyderabad to come to the holy Hindu city of Varanasi - also known as the City of Death.

India’s ancient city of Varanasi is clearing the way for a grand temple corridor by razing hundreds of houses, wiping away its oldest neighbourhood and upsetting locals.