Just as the sun rises higher in the sky, a corpse is being prepared for its last journey at the Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation ghat in Varanasi.
As the boat passes by, the man accompanying the body, removes the shroud from the face and takes a quick picture. Guide Ajit Kumar Yadav tells us that pictures of the ghat should be taken from a distance.
The other cremation ghat is the Harsichandra Ghat, which we are told is frequented by people south of Varanasi. "While at the other ghat, people from around the world come to cremate the dead."
The mounds of ashes make two huge pyramids as the men manning the ghats immerse them in the Ganga after sifting through wicker baskets. Since many believe it is inauspicious to remove jewellery from a dead person, the sifters hope that any precious ornament left on the body will come their way.
It is said that smoke from Varanasi's funeral pyres can be seen at all times because of the significance the city holds as Hinduism's holiest and most auspicious location for an end to life.
"It is only here in Varanasi that a person can be consigned to the flames even at night. In other places funeral pyres are only lit in the daytime," says guide Yadav.
A few years ago, an electric crematorium was built here, but people still prefer the traditional way. From around the world, the dead are brought here for the promise that the cremation ghats of Varanasi hold -- salvation or moksha.
Photograph: Of the 84 ghats lining a five-and-a-half km stretch, two are meant for cremation. Many come here to spend the last days of their lives because death in Varanasi symbolises a gateway to heaven.
Also read: These young girls just wanna study
Advertisement
