Jyoti intends to make his fortune at the Kumbh ferrying pilgrims to the holiest bathing spot, where the two rivers meet. (See Map).

As there is no way to reach this destination, apart from by boat, he will be able to charge fifteen times the rate he does in his hometown of Benares.

Jyoti has been on the river since childhood and his family have been boatman for generations. If his children can not find employment then they too will follow the ancestral profession. As Jyoti says, boatmen will not starve, they will always be able sustain themselves.

Although proud of his profession, Jyoti did attempt an alternative career. He used the profits from ferrying tourists around Varanasi, one of the world's oldest cities, in order to fund university. He graduated in Ancient History and Archaeology but was unable to find work in the Government Services, or any other salaried work, and so returned to his boat.