ONTO THE PYRE

 

The magical realm of death and life is the ‘forbidden’ space. One knows everything about life and nobody knows beyond it. Death is never escapable, and when it happens, the body is free from all pain and suffering. It has always been the reason for mourning and sadness, but the countless corpses brought every day to the Manikarnika Ghat situated at the bank of the river Ganga in Banaras city is a vivid example of a place where death is celebrated and is never a reason for unhappiness. The departed bodies are not wrapped in a white shroud but enshrouded in elaborated, colorful, vibrant red cloth, as is done for a bride when she is sent forever to her husband’s home, ‘bidai’, from her father’s doorstep. The feelings resonate similar intentions where the souls are sent to the other world, to their original homes, to the supreme God, Shiva, for moksha.

The experience that one receives at Manikarnika Ghat is unexplainable in words. It is one such crematorium where anyone can attend a funeral without the consciousness of time, gender, religion, age, or caste. It is a place, always ready to offer mortal experiences in a vast array. One understands the importance of life and something beyond this life. The dead bodies laid on the stack of wood, primarily Chandan (Sandalwood), do not bring chills to oneself, but a sense of gratitude to God for the wonderful life led in whichever manner, with full of lessons learned at every step of the human journey. The smoke of the burnt wood and the human corpse does not suffocate the nostrils, but reminds us of the sense of responsibilities that the physical body had fulfilled on this earth by being someone’s parent, sibling, child, or spouse.

The narrow lane leading to this ‘moksha duar’ not only finds people pushing each other to make their way to the Ghat, but also sometimes finds the dead bodies placed on the bier, carried by four people on their shoulders, touching the pedestrians. The people are not terrified by the touch of the unknown, lifeless bodies, but consider them as travellers on their journey to some destination, beyond the known. Contrarily, the people carrying the corpse do not demonstrate remorse but are sorrowless for the body to be cremated at the moksha ghat.

Life is very vibrant inside those lanes, with a continuous flow of countless people throughout the day. But when someone tries to introspect on their life, it is easily achievable with a little concentration and perseverance. It is a place that gifts a person the invisible wisdom of corporeal life without any physical interference. And it highly relies on the human mind, whether to accept or not the harsh and beautiful truth of this incomprehensible life.