Kabir in the Lanes A guided exploration of Kabir's words and legacy

Kabir's lines are quoted across India, yet the man himself is hard to pin down. Tradition holds that he lived in Banaras in the fifteenth century, grew up in a family of Muslim weavers and worked at the loom while composing the sharp, plain-spoken verses that are still sung today. His words appear in the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib and in the Bijak of the Kabir Panth, and he questioned the certainties of priests and mullahs alike.

This walk is built around his words and the city he spoke to. Your guide reads and translates a selection of his dohas and songs at stops chosen for their relevance, which may include the neighbourhood that carries his name, Kabir Chaura. The guide also traces the weaving that runs through his imagery, from the finely woven sheet of one well-known song to his talk of warp and weft. Where a loom is working nearby and the household welcomes visitors, a short stop shows the craft he knew.

Much of Kabir's life comes to us as legend rather than record, and the guide is clear about which is which. Every location is included only once its link to Kabir is substantiated, and the programme is confirmed with you in advance. Kabir is said to have left Banaras to die at Maghar, a story your guide will tell, though Maghar itself is not part of this walk.