Just over 200 meters from the picturesque Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat is gloomy due to the smoke from the cremated corpses. Before the burning process, the priests beat drums, danced, and prayed around the dead body for approximately 20 minutes. In the meantime, people stacked piles of firewood and waited. Every nook and cranny of the Ghat area is filled with advertisements for shrouding and cremation services, and many motels catering to people waiting to die offer these services as well.
 

After the ceremony, the body is carried out and placed on top of a pile of firewood sprinkled with scented herbal powders so that the soul can reach heaven. There is usually no one weeping at the crematorium, as only a few family members follow the dead body. Usually, it is the eldest son or a male relative who is in attendance, as he will be the one to light the firewood.
 

Usually, people only cremate the bodies of middle-aged and elderly individuals. Men’s bodies are wrapped in white cloth and placed face down on the ground, while women’s bodies are shrouded in red or yellow cloth and placed facing up. Bodies are positioned with their heads turned to the bank and legs facing the river. The body is burned for about three hours, after which both the ashes and any unburned bones are dropped into the river. One life has come to an end. The service costs approximately $200 to complete.
 

I watched as the bodies were being burned, the skin cracked, the blood flowed into the fire, creating a sizzling sound. The heads broke, causing brains and blood to spill onto the fire. The legs, arms, and femurs were left with only a small amount of flesh, accompanied by the smell of burning flesh. Some bones that had not yet been burned were also floating in the river. Nothing was left but the ashes of the deceased. Approximately twenty bodies were being cremated here. The local residents are proud of the fact that for generations, there has never been a day when the cremation pyres along the Ganges river have been extinguished.
 

In contrast to cremation, water burial is another option. Bodies are placed on top of bamboo bars, shrouded, and then released into the river. At this time, birds such as crows and vultures will also have a full meal. The water has a pungent odor that can be startling to those who come across it. Along the riverbank are magnificent castles made of pink sandstone that have stood for centuries.
 

It was getting dark, and we left the Ganges for our evening retreat to prepare for tomorrow when we’ll be heading to Deer Park (Sarnath).

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Source: Dhammacetiya