Death in Varanasi

Varanasi, also known as Benares is the city where many people come to die. According to Hindu tradition die in Varanasi is the end of the cycle of reincarnation that is the goal of each human being. Hindu holy men(Sadhu) also come to Varanasi from all over India to live out. They believe that it will be their final life in absolute simplicity, meditating along the sides of the Ganges. Some Holy men devoting almost all of their time and energy to silent meditation, in the hope that their soul will finally be freed.

Varanasi is a mystic land where life and death are spiritual experiences, here funeral pyres line river banks, and holy men perform mysterious rituals that cannot be witnessed anywhere else. Despite the fact that Kashi (another name for Varanasi) is considered to be the heart of Hinduism, at the ghats, the River Ganga is maiyya (mother) to all, regardless of their faith.

Many elderly and terminally ill people travel from all parts of India to the ghats seeking a peaceful death. In fact, Varanasi has guest houses that cater exclusively to the dying, the most famous among them being Mukti Bhawan, where ‘guests’ are allowed to stay till death. The dead bodies of the ones that die in Varanasi are cremated in one of the two ghats: Manikarnika or Harishchandra. Most of the cremations take place in Manikarnika Ghat.

Manikarnika Ghat:

Manikarnika Ghat is the holiest and one of the oldest cremation ghats in Varanasi. According to Hindu mythology, the person cremated here achieves immediate liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Manikarnika Ghat lies at the centre of the five major Tirtha Sthals and symbolizes both creation and destruction.

Millions of people come down at this ghat to burn down the mortal remains of their dear ones and pray to the flames for eternal peace of the soul. Also present here is a sacred well called the Manikarnika Kund, which is believed to be dug by Lord Vishnu at the time of the creation of this world. The ashes of the burnt bodies make one remember the inevitable destruction of everything in the world here.

The legends:  It is believed that the Lord Vishnu dug a pit using his Chakra and at the same time the earring (“Manikarnika”) of Lord Shiva had fallen into the pit created by the Lord Vishnu. According to the second legend, the Goddess Parvati (consort of Lord Shiva, Goddess Annapurna) hid her earrings and asked Lord Shiva to find them.

Harishchandra Ghat:

Harish Chandra Ghat is considered as one of the oldest Ghats of Varanasi. People from south of Varanasi bring the dead bodies of their near and dear ones to the Harish Chandra Ghat for cremation. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that if a person is cremated at Ghat, that person gets salvation or “moksha”. This Ghat was renovated in the late 1980s when an electric crematorium was opened here.

The legends: There was a mythological King Harish Chandra, who once worked at the cremation ground as a caretaker. As per the system, those who work at the ghats and assist with cremations have to be necessarily paid as part of the ritual. And so during Harishchandra’s tough time, one day his son died and his wife brought his body for the cremation to the ghat and had no money to pay Harishcandra with, the duty-bound Raja did not allow the rites to be performed for his own son. He proved that he is honest and self-righteousness so later Gods restored his lost throne and his dead son to him.

Description of Cremations in Varanasi

Cremations take place in the Ganges for thousands of years. On the roads of Varanasi, you will often see shrouded corpses placed on the roofs of vehicles. Some processions with the corpse to the ghat are accompanied by singing, dancing and drumming like a festive atmosphere. Relatives chant “Rama Nama Satya hai.” while taking body for cremation. The body is immersed once in the Ganges and then lashed to a platform and wrapped in white/red fabric.

The pyre is lit with an eternal fire from a temple. Periodically the embers of the fire pyre are poked by boys with six-foot bamboo to keep the fire burning. After two hours when cremation has finished the bones and ashes of the deceased are put into the Ganges. Even those who are not cremated near the Ganges have their ashes placed on the Ganges.

After the cremation family members wash in water then walk off led by youngest son and don’t look back. When they arrive at the home they touch several objects like a stone, fire, dung, grain, a seed, oil and water—in proper order to purify themselves before they enter their houses.

Hindu Mourning Period and Departure of the Soul

Hindus believe that the soul exists 13 days until it is ready to move on to the next stage. The 10th to 12th day after a death is the day is marked by special prayers. A dinner is given on the 12th or 13th day after special “ritual of peace” is performed to mark the ending of the mourning period.

Varanasi is where one can hope to find eternal bliss, life and death flourish together on the ghats, feeding off each other. The rites for ancestors are often performed once a year and feature a feast with a plate of food offered to the dead.

According to Hindu beliefs, the soul of a person attains liberation from the cycle of life and death if their last rites performed here. Dasaswamedh Ghat has a long row of wooden platforms to one side that awaits pilgrims who bathe in the Ganga and proceed to ensure the last rites for a family member or a loved one. Local priests perform these rituals for a fee. In Varanasi, cremation happens day and night. It is hard for a visitor to understand the reality of death as seen here.