Monthly Archives: March 2010

Dying in Benares

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I worked with a photographer named Jane Becker from Canada. She wanted to photograph widows and hospices in Varanasi. Since I had already worked with a researcher from the University of Venice who did research about widows in Varanasi, I already knew where to take them. About two years ago I worked with a researcher from the University of Berlin who was interested in people who come Benares to die so I had some idea about this subject also. We decided to start working with hospices and ashrams first. I took her to an ashram near Assi ghat and we interviewed a few people and she did some photography also.

Next day I took her to another ashram where more than 2,000 people stay to live their last part of life. This ashram has a section for Sanyasis and a separate section for family people. The ashram was huge with so many people in there and there was a school also for Sanskrit studies. We visited this ashram but did not photograph. The next day we went to a place called Kashi Mukti Bhawan which really different than other places in Benares. Benares has so many places and ashrams where people stay to die but this place was entirely different.

Kashi Mukti Bhawan is owned by the Dalmia family. The idea behind founding of this hospice is that once Mr. Dalmia was visiting Varanasi and he visited so many ashrams where people stay to die. His grandmother also wanted to live her last part of the life in Varanasi so he decided to built a free temporary stay for the people who want to die in Varanasi. Kashi Mukti Bhawan has a rule which could sound strange but they offer only 14 days of stay. So most of the people come to stay at Kashi Mukti Bhawan are the people who are just going to die at any moment.

They do not allow anyone who is below 60 years old or looks like they are not dying. The building has ten rooms and when I went there only one room had people and the rest of the rooms were vacant. They have a temple also inside the building where they have puja going on most of the time. The manager said that until four years ago they did puja 24 hours a day but they decreased by a few hours because not many people come anymore. In the past all the rooms used to be full all the time but now sometimes they have only one visitor, sometimes two or three and sometimes just no one.

And if there is a person dying there, then the priest of the temple goes to the this person and reads Ram Charit Manas for him at least for five minutes at four different times in a day. The idea behind it is that if a dying person hears the chantings of Ram Charit Manas, then he gets salvation. We interviewed a woman staying at Kashi Mukti Bhawan who had brought her father all the way from Sasaram, Bihar to Kashi Mukti Bhawan so that her father could die in Varanasi and get salvation. We asked her why she chose only Kashi Mukti Bhawan in Varanasi, why not some other ashram and she said that all of her family members come to Kashi Mukti Bhawan to die, very interesting.

She also talked about the importance of dying in Varanasi but at the same time she gave some importance to Kashi Mukti Bhawan also. She said that Kashi Mukti Bhawan has an ideal atmosphere for dying. She said that Kashi Mukti Bhawan has chanting all day long and the priests read Ram Charit Manas for the dying person which makes it a special place for dying. We asked the manager why they allow only 14 days of stay and he said that 14 days are enough to die. In case the person is still sick and feels like they are going to die even after 14 days, they allow them to stay for a week or two more but usually people die within a week.

The manager said that in some cases people came and returned home by recovering from their sickness. So they came to Kashi Mukti Bhawan with serious sickness and felt like dying but they recovered and did not die. Well, in any case Kashi Mukti Bhawan seemed different than most of the other ashrams in Varanasi and I would like to learn more about it.

Holika 2010

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Holika Dahan is a festival celebrated on the eve of Holi, which took place on February 28th this year. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the festivities. This festival has a fascinating story behind it. According to the legend, there were two Asura brothers named Hiranyakashyapu and Hiranyaksha, who were notorious for their malevolence and persecution of religious people. Eventually, Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyaksha, becoming the arch-enemy of Hiranyakashyapu. After some time, Hiranyakashyapu performed severe penance and pleased Lord Vishnu, who appeared before him and granted him a wish.

Hiranyakashyapu requested immortality, but Lord Vishnu told him that everyone born must eventually die. Therefore, Hiranyakashyapu made a more cunning request: he asked for a boon that neither a human nor an animal could kill him, neither during the day nor at night, neither on earth nor in the sky. Lord Vishnu granted this wish, and Hiranyakashyapu began to exploit his newfound powers, tormenting innocent people, prohibiting religious practices, and declaring himself a god. Hiranyakashyapu had a son named Prahlad, who was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu. Despite his father’s strong opposition and attempts to force him to renounce his faith, Prahlad remained steadfast in his devotion.

Frustrated, Hiranyakashyapu attempted to kill Prahlad by throwing him into the ocean and abandoning him in the jungle, but Prahlad miraculously survived both attempts and returned home each time. Prahlad’s aunt, Holika, had a boon that made her immune to fire. She agreed to help Hiranyakashyapu by taking Prahlad to a pyre of wood. Holika sat on the pyre with Prahlad, believing that she would remain unharmed while Prahlad would be consumed by the flames. However, a miracle occurred: Holika burned alive, while Prahlad emerged unscathed. This event is commemorated during Holika Dahan, where people build a bonfire, place an effigy of Holika and Prahlad, and burn it.

On the day of the festival, people traditionally apply a mustard paste to their bodies, and the residue is then discarded into the bonfire. This practice symbolizes the removal of sins and the renewal of body and soul. However, this festival has become an environmental concern due to the practice of cutting down green trees for the fire. This year, for the first time, I saw a group of students educating people about the environmental impact of cutting down trees for the festival. While I support this cause, I doubt that change will come easily.

Benares, already suffering from a lack of greenery, is not alone in this issue; it’s a global problem. For instance, it’s reported that China cuts down over 25 million trees annually to produce chopsticks, and India has lost over 75% of its forests. If such practices continue, the future looks bleak. Education and awareness are crucial to addressing this issue, but the challenge lies in finding effective advocates for change. While we cannot stop the festival, we can reduce its environmental impact by using alternative materials instead of green trees. Please, let’s stop cutting down green trees and instead focus on planting new ones.

Holika Dahan Fire