The most confronting ghat, Manikarnika (also known simply as the burning ghat) is the place where the majority of dead bodies are cremated in Varanasi. Hindus believe it will liberate them from the cycle of death and rebirth. Indeed, you'll openly come face to face with death at Manikarnika Ghat. Piles of firewood line the shore and the fires continually burn with the stream of dead bodies, each wrapped in cloth and carried through the lanes on makeshift stretchers by the doms (a caste of untouchables that handles the corpses and supervises the burning ghat). If you're curious and feeling bold, it is possible to watch the cremations take place for a fee. There are plenty of priests or guides around who will lead you to one of the upper floors of a nearby building. Make sure you negotiate and don't give in to demands for outrageously high sums of money.
