Photo Essay by Komal Bedi Sohal
Working in ad agencies across India, Singapore, and Dubai, Komal has won multiple awards including Cannes Lions, where she also served as jury. As a photographer she likes telling stories of people she meets during her travels. She captures feelings, nuances, and time. Her shots are spontaneous: the moments, stolen.
Instagram: @kobeso
Lying on the banks of River Ganges, Varanasi (ancient name: Kashi) is one of the oldest living cities in the world. It is built along a series of riverfront steps known as ‘ghats’. Hindus believe dying in Varanasi ends the endless rebirth cycle, giving them salvation. Manikarnika ghat is where you can see bodies being cremated all the time.
The representatives of the deceased then visit local barbers to receive a ritual head shaving.
Varanasi may be known as a place to die, but during a recent visit, I found it full of life, steeped in devotion.Since ancient times, the city has been an important center of not only pilgrimage, but also learning and the arts.
Tulsidas wrote his Ramayan here. Sarnath, the place where Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment, is just 10 km away. Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro, and Ustad Bismillah Khan, the famous shehnai player, were sons of the blessed city or made home here.
Leave a Reply