Tramping the Dusty Roads

Tramping the Dusty Roads

Roads between Worlds

Benares: The City of Death & Release.

From Kapal Kriya to Manikarnika Ghat. An exploration of mortality in India

Rajiv Chopra's avatar
Rajiv Chopra
Jul 03, 2026
∙ Paid

Benares. The city of death and moksha.

Benares is the city of death. Benares is the city where you come to die or to be cremated if you wish to escape the endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. I am Indian, and while we speak of heaven (swarag) and hell (narak), I don’t have a visual or other image of what heaven or hell look like.

Many images …

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Rajiv Chopra.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Rajiv Chopra · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture