
On the western bank of the Ganges in the ancient city of Varanasi, the fires of the Manikarnika Ghats have been burning for thousands of years.

This holy city, in Uttar Pradesh, India, is the most sacred place on earth for Hindus and it is believed that if a person’s ashes are scattered here then their soul will finally achieve nirvana (moksha).

But to liberate the soul, the worn-out body must first be burned.

A series of stunning and rare images, captured by photographer Michal Huniewicz, give a remarkable insight into the last hours of the Hindu body at Manikarnika Ghats - the largest cremation site in Varanasi.

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Ancient rituals: The Manikarnika Ghat fires in Varanasi is the most sacred place for Hindus to be cremated. Here, piles of wood are stacked for burning, cows and goats can be seen alongside male family members and spectators observing the cremations from boats on the river

Respect: A shrouded body is taken into the Ganges to be washed and prepared ready for cremation at the Manikarnika Ghats, where Hindus have been cremated to have their souls liberated from their bodies for thousands of years

Eye catching: Two tourists, who are encouraged to witness the ritual, sit in a boat on the Ganges in front of a large heap of hot human ashes in the background. To the right there is a body wrapped in an orange shroud, drying on the stairs after being immersed in the river

Oppressed: Death is believed to be contagious and it is only Doms, a subcaste of the Untouchables, that is allowed to touch dead bodies

Up to 300 people a day are cremated at this ‘burning ghat’, named for the steps that lead down to a body of holy water.

For centuries, the old and sick have flocked to the site to die here on the banks of the Ganges, and special buildings on the site are reserved for those awaiting their final hours.

But the atmosphere at the giant funeral site is not one of sorrow, as mourners instead laugh, chat and play cards as the funeral preparations are carried out.

The Hindu attitude to death is not one of loss, but instead follows the idea of ‘shedding’ the worn-out body, as one might throw away clothes that are too worn-out to wear.

The Varanasi site is a hive of activity, families weave between the piles of wood gathered for burning bodies; livestock amble around funeral parties; and spectators and tourists mill around observing ceremonies.

The funeral process is vital in achieving nirvana, and the ritual’s many stages must be perfectly performed or the soul won’t find its way in the afterlife.

Practicalities: Piles of mango wood logs, which are cheaper than sandalwood, are used for burning human bodies. About nine million people die in India annually, so for practical reasons other methods of cremations are being introduced using electricity or gas instead

Speed: A body is taken down to the Ganges on a bier, wrapped in an orange shroud. It should be burnt in 24 hours of death

Cleansed: The body is taken down to be immersed in the river by family members on a bamboo bier. The man in white is the closest male relative to the deceased, who is tasked with carrying out the funerary rites. The only women that tend to be present are foreign tourists

Carried: The body is briefly immersed in water before being carried back up the stairs before the cremation begins

Waiting: The bodies are left on the stairs for about two hours so they can dry before the cremation takes place nearby

To begin, the remains are carried through the alleyways of the old city to the holy Ganges on a bamboo stretcher swathed in colourful cloth.

The closest male relative must perform the funeral rites, while women are traditionally not allowed to be present for fear they will cry and ruin the respectful atmosphere.

The body is then immersed in the Ganges before being laid out to dry for two hours on the steps. It is usual for the body to be left alone while it dries, and unchecked livestock are known to chew on the decorative flowers and even urinate on the body.

Once it has dried, the body is taken to the burning pit and the piles of wood, which have been carefully selected and weighed depending on the amount the family can afford to spend on the ceremony.

But death is believed to be contagious, and only a certain subcaste of the 'Untouchables', an oppressed group of people people shunned by society, are allowed to come into contact with the dead body. The members of this subcaste are called the 'Doms'.

But, as they are the only ones to perform the ceremony, some Doms have established a monopoly and become wealthy off the funeral trade that thrives in Varanasi.

Final moments: When the body, which may have been left alone, is sufficiently dry it is taken by the family members to the burning pit

Hundreds: Up to 300 cremations take place on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi every day as their souls are released to be reborn

Patience: The bodies are left on the stairs, or ghats, for hours. Young boys, most probably relatives of the deceased, sit and wait

Peaceful: Men stand in silence awating a cremation, which women do not attend as they are said to bring too much sorrow to proceedings

Business: The Doms charge for the cremation itself, but also take a cut from the expensive wood sold near the ghats

Social structures: The pits are located on four different levels, one for each caste. Those pictured are from the Kshatriya (warrior) caste

Last preparations: The body is freed from the rope and ready to be placed on the pyre and covered with the wood the family has bought

Cremation is the preferred way of disposing of dead bodies among Hindus, who believe that fire purifies the soul and frees it from the body, allowing for the person to be reborn.

No coffins exist in the Hindu world, and the only a select group of people are buried instead of burned.

These include holy men and children who die before reaching two years old, as it is believed that their spirits are pure and don’t need to be cleansed by the fire. Criminals and people who have committed suicide are also buried, as their sins are too great to be cleansed by a funeral pyre.

The feet of the body are positioned pointing south in the direction of the realm of Yama, the god of death, and the head positioned north towards the realm of Kubera, the god of wealth.

Traditionally it is the chief mourner, often wearing white, who sets light to the pyre by accepting flaming kusha twigs from the Doms, and the body becomes an offering to Agni, the god of fire.

After the body has been burned – a rite that is left incomplete if the family can’t afford enough wood – the flames are extinguished with water from the Ganges, and the ashes are scattered into the river.Tourists are encouraged to observe the funeral rites, which play such a vital role in Hindu beliefs, but are asked to behave respectfully: taking pictures is generally prohibited.

Expense: A typical funeral pyre requires 300 kilograms of wood to burn the body sufficiently. Cremation is the preferred way of disposing of dead bodies among Hindus, as fire is believed to purify - and therefore the individual's spiritual essence is freed from the body

The pyre: The Dom stands in the background, while two men on the right hold bags with various substances to be added to the pyre

Choices: Wealthier families may choose to use the much more expensive sandalwood instead of the cheaper mango wood, while the poorest may just use cow dung, and some simply throw the body directly into the river

Covered: Clarified (and edible) butter called ghee smeared on the wood. In the old days, ghee was also used to fill the body before burning

Concealed: Sandalwood powder is poured over to cancel out the smell of burning hair. Surprisingly, this does not smell unpleasant

Incense: A relative scatters some sort of incense, possibly black musk from Nepal, over the remains before the wood is lit

Duty: The man lighting the pyre is likely to be the eldest son or closest male relative. He shaves his head and wears white out of respect

Lit: A cloud of smoke is released from the pyre. The Dom sits beside the cremation site to make sure the fire keeps burning

Life continues: A dog lying at the ancient site is covered in ash from the fires of the Manikarnika Ghats

Practical: Heavy wood on top of the body is important as heat causes muscles to contract which could cause the body to sit up

Ashes: Bamboo sticks are used to ensure the body is broken down in the fire as part of the Hindu practice of burning ghats

Reasons: Cremation is preferred among Hindus as fire is believed to purify so the individual's spiritual essence can be freed from the body

INDIA'S CASTE SYSTEM - THE UNBEARABLE LIVES OF THE 'UNTOUCHABLES' Death is believed to be contagious in Hindu culture, and only a certain subcaste of the Untouchables - known as the Doms - are allowed to come into contact with dead bodies. Society in many areas of India still revolves around a caste system, that makes like nearly impossible for those considered ‘Untouchables’. According to the caste system, the ‘Untouchables’ – also known as Dalits, meaning 'oppressed' in Hindi and Marathi – are people tainted by their birth into a caste system that deems them to be impure. Considered less than human, Dalits are subjected to numerous human rights abuses in the country. ‘Dalits are not allowed to drink from the same wells, attend the same temples, wear shoes in the presence of an upper caste, or drink from the same cups in tea stalls,’ Smita Narula, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, told the National Geographic. ‘There have been large-scale abuses by the police, acting in collusion with upper castes, including raids, beating in custody, failure to charge offenders or investigate reported crimes.’ Ancient social system: This woman is one of the so-called 'Untouchables', considered the lowest caste in Hindu culture Upper-caste Hindus seek to keep the ‘Untouchables’ in their place, with public beatings, parading them naked through the streets, and raping the women. The people live in constant fear of punishment or public humiliation, and just walking through a neighbourhood reserved for upper-caste people is a life-threatening offence. Nearly 90 per cent of all poor Indians and 95 per cent of all illiterate Indians are Dalits, according to figures presented at the International Dalit Conference in Canada, in 2003. Relegated to the lowest jobs and the worst housing, the Dalits are oppressed, culturally subjugated and politically marginalised. The Dalits’ lives are ordered by the principles of untouchability, which dictate what they are allowed to do; where they are allowed to live, go or sit; and who they can and cannot give water to, eat with, or marry. The National Geographic and Navsarjan Advertisement

Hidden: Joss sticks and various incense are used at the site to avoid the place smelling of the hundreds of bodies cremated every day

Hundreds: An aerial photograph shows the fires burning at the Manikarnika Ghats on the banks of the Ganges from above

Soul: Hindus believe that the soul leaves the body once the skull explodes from the heat. This can be helped with a bamboo stick

Scattered: Once the cremation is finished, the fire is extinguished with water from the Ganges. The ashes are collected and thrown into the river, along with any other remains which did not crumble in the intense heat

River bank: The remains which were thrown into the river wash up also here, on the other side of Ganges, where people are bathing