Varanasi India stretching along the
sacred Ganges
it is Hinduism’s holiest city millions
of pilgrims come to bathe in the
purifying waters but others come for far
different purpose they come here to burn
the dead out in the open in public Fein
thiol has a job that many might find
appalling Fein belongs to a unique
Indian caste or community known as the
domes it is the traditional role of the
domes to cremate the Hindu dead members
of fiends family have been burning
corpses for hundreds perhaps thousands
of years for devout Hindus touching a
corpse is highly taboo it is a ritually
polluting act those who work with the
dead are considered unclean and
therefore untouchable they are outcasts
but the domes also play a pivotal role
in the Hindu approach to death which is
based on the idea of reincarnation
Hindus believe every human soul passes
through many lives the ultimate goal is
to unite with the Supreme Being but
until they are worthy they continue to
be reborn the holy city of Varanasi
provides a kind of spiritual shortcut
Hindus believe that if they die here and
their ashes are scattered in the Ganges
their souls are liberated from the cycle
the domes work as a team while some
build pyres and oversee cremation others
scavenge among the ashes and coals
whatever touches the dead is theirs to
keep
lonna body we have to burn usually has
golden jewelry on it V siftin take it
the women have no swings the men have
chains and fingerings we take the gold
and silver off the body the bodies
continue to burn all through the night
spending the night with the dead might
seem like a frightening task look a
hybrid we got back we get habituated to
it and don’t get scared whether we are
here or on the other side of the river
we can stay alone in the cremation
grounds and we don’t get scared the
fires continue into mourning as more
bodies are brought down to the river
Fein takes up his post again and
immediately begins building a funeral
pyre his first customers have arrived
the family of the deceased gathers
around as dean works it is the
traditional role of the firstborn son to
set fire to the body but first he must
shave his head and dress in white robes
Fein leads this firstborn son to the
sacred flame and then leads the man
threw the punch Akuma the ritual of
circling the body five times
they set fire to the corpse burning
bodies is thines only means of survival
he lives a Hindu paradox the only way
for him to escape the death industry is
to die and to be reborn into a higher
caste for now the fires will continue to
burn and in the city of death life goes
on
sacred Ganges
it is Hinduism’s holiest city millions
of pilgrims come to bathe in the
purifying waters but others come for far
different purpose they come here to burn
the dead out in the open in public Fein
thiol has a job that many might find
appalling Fein belongs to a unique
Indian caste or community known as the
domes it is the traditional role of the
domes to cremate the Hindu dead members
of fiends family have been burning
corpses for hundreds perhaps thousands
of years for devout Hindus touching a
corpse is highly taboo it is a ritually
polluting act those who work with the
dead are considered unclean and
therefore untouchable they are outcasts
but the domes also play a pivotal role
in the Hindu approach to death which is
based on the idea of reincarnation
Hindus believe every human soul passes
through many lives the ultimate goal is
to unite with the Supreme Being but
until they are worthy they continue to
be reborn the holy city of Varanasi
provides a kind of spiritual shortcut
Hindus believe that if they die here and
their ashes are scattered in the Ganges
their souls are liberated from the cycle
the domes work as a team while some
build pyres and oversee cremation others
scavenge among the ashes and coals
whatever touches the dead is theirs to
keep
lonna body we have to burn usually has
golden jewelry on it V siftin take it
the women have no swings the men have
chains and fingerings we take the gold
and silver off the body the bodies
continue to burn all through the night
spending the night with the dead might
seem like a frightening task look a
hybrid we got back we get habituated to
it and don’t get scared whether we are
here or on the other side of the river
we can stay alone in the cremation
grounds and we don’t get scared the
fires continue into mourning as more
bodies are brought down to the river
Fein takes up his post again and
immediately begins building a funeral
pyre his first customers have arrived
the family of the deceased gathers
around as dean works it is the
traditional role of the firstborn son to
set fire to the body but first he must
shave his head and dress in white robes
Fein leads this firstborn son to the
sacred flame and then leads the man
threw the punch Akuma the ritual of
circling the body five times
they set fire to the corpse burning
bodies is thines only means of survival
he lives a Hindu paradox the only way
for him to escape the death industry is
to die and to be reborn into a higher
caste for now the fires will continue to
burn and in the city of death life goes
on
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