23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Mortals

It's a burning ghat in Varanasi. A cremation was going on. A street dog was watching the fire silently. The expression of the dog made me imagine that the corpse was his master's or perhaps the burning corpse reminded the dog of its own mortality.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Varanasi, India
Copyright: © Arka Chakraborty