Waiting to ascend

The Manikarnika Ghat in the ancient city of Varanasi, India sits on the banks of the Ganga (Ganges) river. Devout Hindu’s will come to be cremated. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year the funeral pyres will burn. It is non-stop dance with death itself. With the promise of attaining Moksha and breaking the cycle of rebirth. The smoke billows from the fires burning bodies and the thousands of tons of wood cut down to fuel it all. Once fully cremated the ashes will be put into the river. The same river where just down stream people wash in the holy water.