Death On the Holy Ganges

In Varanasi, ministering to the dead is a way of life. Situated on the banks of the holy Ganges River, the ancient city is not only a place of pilgrimage but an auspicious place to die. The elderly and the sick arrive from across India to pass their final days praying at the river, in ashrams or on the street, knowing that dying on the banks of the Ganges will speed them through the cycle of rebirths to moksha, or liberation of the soul. Those who don't die in Varanasi desire to be cremated there, or have their ashes scattered in...