Remembering Mark

We motored down to Manikarnika Ghat, one of Hinduism's holiest cremation sites, where fires burn 24/7 on the Ganges bank. Hindus believe cremation here grants moksha (liberation from the rebirth cycle). Hundreds of cremations occur daily, making it a powerful, intense, and sacred site of death and final rites. It is believed Lord Shiva grants liberation to souls here, making it the most coveted place for passing.

Bodies are covered in cloth/garlands, brought to the ghat within two hours of death, and cremated on wood pyres, often using sandalwood. The fires are lit from a sacred, continuously burning flame that has allegedly burned for centuries. A close male family member typically leads the rites. He shaves his head, circles the body and often breaks the skull with a bamboo pole to release the soul. The remains are scattered into the Ganga River. Pregnant women, babies, and toddlers are not cremated. Instead, they have rocks attached to their bodies and they are drowned in the river.

The ghat is intense, noisy, and smoky, with constant activity. It is also extremely moving. As we watched proceedings, a boat pulled alongside us. The boatman was selling garlands of flowers with candles and prayers attached to them, just as I had seen in Rishikesh and other places. I'd had no prior idea to do it, but at that moment, it seemed like a fitting thing to do for Mark. When I first dropped it in the Ganges, I managed to create quite a splash and extinguish the candle! I knew Mark would be laughing at me if he could see me! The boatman lit another one for me, and Fiona did one for her Dad. We watched them float off down the Ganges together. It might be stupid, but it was very emotional and we both shed a few tears as we returned to our starting point.Read more