23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Witness to Salvation
A moment of stillness for a cremation worker at the Varanasi ghats. Surrounded by the smoke of burning pyres, he watches the flames consume the mortal remains. In this sacred space, death is not feared but seen as 'Moksha'—the ultimate liberation of the soul.
Photo Detail
| Date Taken: | 10.2025 |
| Date Uploaded: | 12.2025 |
| Photo Location: | VARANASI, India |
| Camera: | NIKON Z5_2 |
| Copyright: | © Shubhodeep Roy |