Once I calmed down, I found Varanasi to be a place like no other. Not
only is it considered one of the holiest cities, but it’s a place where
people come to die. Hindu scriptures state that dying here and
getting cremated along the Ganges allows you to break free from the
cycle of rebirth - which sounds like a good enough reason to me.
Thousands come here towards the end of their lives. I stared wide-
eyed as families hurried to the river carrying corpses, chanting
prayers for the dead person’s soul, while thick smoke rose from the
nearby ghats. It’s a city of sacred pools, funeral pyres, and a place
where Hindus aim to attain a sacred form of enlightenment at death.
Both bizarre and spiritual, dragging myself away from Varanasi was
hard. The longer I stayed, the more fascinating the town and rituals
became.
leana
(Leana)
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