("Jeweled earring") Manikarnika - Sacred location
(tirtha) in the city of Benares, Uttar Pradesh, on the Ganges River.
The place is named after the Manikarnika Kund, a bathing
(snana) pond allegedly built by the deity Vishnu and into which a god Shiva's
earring fell, sanctifying the tank by its presence.
In current times, the place is primarily known for the
Manikarnika Ghat cremation ground.
The cremation site is located on the outskirts of most
Indian cities, since its association with death makes it an inauspicious
location.
The Manikarnika cremation site, on the other hand, is
located in the heart of Benares.
Despite the natural human tendency to avoid and reject
death, it is paraded in broad view in Benares—not to upset or depress people,
but to force them to face it.
Death has long been seen to be a powerful motivator for
religious practice.
Because Benares is one of the Seven Sacred Cities, dying
there brings with it the promise of ultimate liberty.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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