HAJIPUR, BIHAR, INDIA – MARCH 31, 2026 In India, a traditional method of burial has been maintained for centuries among Hindu communities, in which the bodies of the deceased are cremated on open wooden funeral pyres. This ritual, known as Hindu cremation, is according to religious beliefs a way to help the soul leave the body and continue into another existence.
One of the most well-known places where this ceremony still takes place is the city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. At local ghats, the deceased are brought to the river, placed on a wooden pyre, and then set on fire during a traditional ceremony in the presence of family members.
During the cremation, the closest relative usually lights the funeral pyre, and after the ceremony is completed, the remains of the body are often placed into the sacred Ganges River. For many Hindus, this ritual has deep spiritual significance and symbolizes the transition between earthly life and the next stage of existence.
