 Bismillah's love for Banaras was the cornerstone of his life, both as an artist and a man. The city shaped and guided his thought, genius and the plurality of his beliefs so that Bismillah became the ultimate symbol of secular India. Every evening, Banaras pays homage to the Ganga. It is the spiritual, mystical aspect of this town, whose past still lives in the day-to-day practices of the people. It is the town which Bismillah chose to make his own. Many cities beckoned, but his heart lame Banaras, where redemption, salvation and immortality are words that are part of daily life. Today, Bismillah and Banaras are inextricably linked. His music, like the Ganga, all-encompassing, ever-flowing and eternal.