CHENNAI: Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi on the banks of river Ganges is busy with cremating dead bodies round-the-clock since people bring the mortal remains of their relatives throughout the day. According to beliefs, the place is considered very auspicious by the Hindus for cremating dead bodies as performing the final rites here would liberate the soul from the cycle of births and deaths.
On Sunday, this correspondent along with a few delegates for Kashi Tamil Sangamam toured around the historically-important places in Varanasi and also visited Manikarnika Ghat, stayed there for more than six hours from 10 pm to witness what was happening there.
The ghat is filled with piles of firewood, and holy names of the gods reverberate the place as people bring the bodies by chanting the names. The bodies brought here are dipped in the Ganges, and later, they are placed on the pyre. A slice of the fire that is kept alive since time immemorial is given to the relatives when they pay a certain amount for cremation.
Those who grieve the death of their relatives remain there till the body is burnt completely and some of them continue to chant the names of gods with tears rolling down their cheeks. A crematorium worker said people don’t collect the ashes of their relatives since they are immersed in river Ganges just after the bodies are burnt.
While this is going on, Aghoris meditate before the bodies while they are burnt. Aghoris are a Hindu sect who are devotees of Lord Shiva manifested as Bhairava. They are monists who seek liberation from the cycle of Samsara (the cycle of births and deaths). They smear cremation ashes on their bodies particularly on their faces and heads. A crematorium worker said the Aghoris normally stay at the other side of the Ganges and occasionally come to the crematorium at night.
In the meantime, a few persons who claimed themselves as Ahoris meditated before the bodies despite the heat emanating from the burning corpses. After some time, a person who claims himself as Aghori performed rituals by sitting in a yogic posture in front of the bodies. The rituals lasted for about 45 minutes.
At 12 midnight, a mixture of sounds emanated from the other bank of the Ganges where a significant number of Aghoris live. People at the Manikarnika Ghat said at midnight, some Ahoris used to perform certain rituals using the materials they gather from the Ghat earlier in the day.
Those who are employed in the Ghat said there are many persons posing as Aghoris in Varanasi but genuine Aghoris speak very little, and that too, when they feel the person in front of them is worth speaking to them. Otherwise, they just bless them and move away.
Many times, they chase away people if they go near them. When asked about the Aghori sect, the person who performed rituals at the Ghat said there are many divisions among the Aghoris. Another person who was meditating at the Ghat said he belongs to Naga sect of Hinduism.