23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
The Keeper of the Pyre
At Varanasi's cremation ghats, the fires burn 24 hours a day. Here, a worker tends to a funeral pyre amidst the heat and smoke. In Hindu belief, cremation in this holy city liberates the soul from the cycle of rebirth, granting 'Moksha' (salvation).
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 10.2025 |
| Date Uploaded: | 12.2025 |
| Photo Location: | VARANASI, India |
| Camera: | NIKON Z5_2 |
| Copyright: | © Shubhodeep Roy |