The Ghats of Varanasi · The Fire That Never Stops

Along the Ganges at Varanasi there are dozens of ghats, and the cremation ground at one of them has been burning for centuries; the fire is said never to have gone out.

Hindus believe that to die here, be burned here and have one’s ashes given to the river is to escape the cycle of rebirth. So there are both bodies and people waiting to die.

Ashes and firewood are stacked at the water’s edge, and cattle and dogs sleep on the steps. Those who tend the fire do not talk about ghosts. They say one thing: the fire must not go out; if it does, a new flame must be fetched.

Historical Mysteries / Varanasi · India / Time immemorial