The Untouchable
Varanasi, India
Varanasi—one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world—is believed by Hindus to have been founded by the god Shiva over 5,000 years ago. Revered as the spiritual heart of India, Varanasi is considered the most sacred place to die. According to Hindu belief, being cremated along the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi ensures moksha—liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). For many, this is the ultimate spiritual goal, and thousands of Hindus journey here in their final days in the hope of attaining it. The streets of the city are filled with the old and the sick—those who have come to die and be freed from the cycle of reincarnation.
At the burning ghats of Varanasi, particularly Manikarnika Ghat, cremation is a constant, sacred ritual. Yet the work of tending the flames, preparing the bodies, and carrying out the rites is performed by members of the Dom caste—a community traditionally regarded as "untouchable" within the Hindu caste hierarchy. Known colloquially as “The Impure,” these individuals occupy the lowest rung of India’s social structure, historically marginalized and stigmatized.
Despite their status, the Doms play an essential role in Hindu death rituals. Their work—grueling, intimate, and spiritual—is performed with deep devotion. In a belief system where karma dictates the fortune of future lives, their service at the ghats is seen as a way to generate positive karma, not just for the deceased, but for themselves. They raise their children in the same world—within the fires, ash, and rituals of the cremation grounds—where life and death are ever-present and intertwined. For many, the ghat is not just a place of work, but a way of life passed from generation to generation.
This body of work documents the lives, dignity, and paradox of a community that exists in the shadows of sacred tradition—stigmatized for their caste, yet central to one of Hinduism’s most revered rituals. It explores themes of identity, spirituality, labor, and humanity in the context of an ancient city where death and liberation coexist daily.
