Doms, people of the undertaker caste, prepare a corpse for cremation by first soaking it with Ganges river water, at the Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi.
Just before sunrise at Assi Ghat, Varanasi.
Sunrise at Assi Ghat, Varanasi. (for amazing photos of Varanasi, see Steve Plattner's gallery.On March 7th, one week after I left the amazing city of Varanasi, several bomb blasts ripped through the Cantt train station and the Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple near Assi Ghat. I was at or near both bomb sites just a week earlier. The line between life and death in this ancient city is blurred beyond belief. Twenty or more people died from these blasts, allegedly linked to terrorists trying to sow the seeds of communal violence between Hindus and Muslims. So far the good people of Banaras have united and resisted this cynical plan. My thoughts and prayers go out to Banarsis and hope to return again soon to share in their joy for life.
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