23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Shadows of Salvation

A silhouette of a worker tending to the eternal fires of Manikarnika Ghat. In the chaos of smoke and flame, the physical world seems to dissolve. For Hindus, to be cremated here is to break the cycle of life and death, achieving ultimate peace.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: VARANASI, India
Camera: NIKON Z5_2
Copyright: © Shubhodeep Roy