Salvation House -- where Hindus go to dieThey arrive in battered cars, on crutches and sometimes on a stretcher barely able to breathe -- but salvation is close for thousands of Hindus who go to the holy city of Varanasi each year to die. Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi releases them from the eternal cycle of life and death reincarnation. Because of the growing development in Varanasi, Mukti Bhawan, which is run by a charity, no longer has a view of the river. But there is still no shortage of mainly poor people wanting to die there. Daily prayers are led by an elderly "pandit" Hindu priest who also offers residents Ganges water, which is considered pure and holy by Hindus.

Source: Standard Digital February 14, 2019 03:22 UTC