Death in Banaras

by Jonathan P. Parry, Anthony T. Carter (Foreword)

As a place to die, to dispose of the physical remains of the deceased and to perform the rites that ensure that the departed attains a "good state" after death, the north Indian city of Banaras attracts pilgrims and mourners from all over the Hindu world. This book is primarily about the priests and other kinds of "sacred specialists" who serve them, about the way in which they organize their business, and about their representations of death and understandings of the rituals over which they preside.

Genres: Death, Anthropology

344 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 1994

Reviews

[Shashank Goyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

My visit to Banaras and my pre sunrise interactions around Assi Ghat got me to think around Death. No where else you would find people so comfortable to talk about death. And this quiet Harmony bookstore overlooking the Ganges introduced me to this beautiful anthropological study around death and its customs in Indian culture.

More than its temples, streets, ghats, deliacies, silks and the omnipresent Ganges, Banaras is famous for death. Strolling across the lanes of Gowdhulia and Vishwanath gali, enjoying hing kachori at Nilu Kachori Bhandar, lassi at Blue Lassi or tamatar chaat at Dina nath Kesari Chaat Bhandar, you keep hearing to the chants of Ram Naam Satya hai (God’s Name is Truth). People in groups of 7-8 carry corpses with garlands and flowers every minute or so. And then you realise what the ultimate purpose of life is. Death. You see the absolute submission in some peoples eyes, who truly believe in Kashyam maranam muktih (Death in Kashi is liberation). I do realise life is all about aging tenderness, innocence, grace and dignity. Gradually as we towards death, we start losing each of it bit by bit. Kashi suddenly gives you a glimpse of your entire unabashed, unfiltered persona. This book makes you realise better why you feel what you feel when you are in Kashi.

[Clint · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the coolest books around on religous practice in Banaras. Besides giving a detailled account of funerary rites, it also details the elongated mourning periods which manifest themselves interestingly in Banaras' unique society. His classic essay on the Aghori sadus will churn your western stomach, but no need to abandon hope yee reader-- I've been to Banaras (or Varanasi) and never saw the holy men fishing corpses out of the Ganga for food . . .

[WH Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death in Banaras by Jonathan P. Parry is a deeply insightful and thought-provoking study of death rituals and cultural practices in Varanasi. The book explores how the city is not only a spiritual center but also a place where life and death are closely interconnected. It provides a detailed anthropological perspective on the priests, rituals, and traditions associated with the final rites.

What makes this book unique is its academic depth combined with real-world observations. The author presents a clear understanding of how beliefs and traditions shape people’s perceptions of death and the afterlife. It gives readers a new perspective on Varanasi beyond its surface-level image.

The book also highlights how cities like Banaras serve as centers of learning, where culture, tradition, and knowledge come together. It reflects the importance of education in understanding such complex subjects and perspectives.

While exploring this, I came across an institution in Varanasi that focuses on strong academic values and holistic development: https://www.whsmithschool.com/

Overall, a meaningful read for those interested in culture, anthropology, and the deeper realities of life in Banaras.

[Nitasha Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Death in Banaras’ is primarily about the Hindu death rituals in Banaras, India. This religious city attracts numerous pilgrims and mourners from all across the country and elsewhere. Parry describes the business of death which surrounds these rituals and the ideological underpinnings of the same. He begins by describing the relationship between the city and death and the ways in which Banaras is represented in its sacred literature. He traces the history of Banaras as a pilgrimage centre and the production and reproduction of the rituals performed by priests and the ‘sacred specialists’ for the thousands of pilgrims and mourners. The later chapters of the book cover the various categories of ritual specialists and the priests, the hierarchy among priests in the business of death, the allocation of opportunities among the ritual performers for performing the death rituals, the manner of remuneration, the ideology of gift-giving in death rituals, the mortuary rituals that surround the disposal of the body (cremation and immersion in the Ganges river) and the series of rituals that follow after the body is disposed. He also briefly mentions the concept of ‘good death’ and ‘bad death’ and draws out the relationship between death and the ideology of sacrifice. In the concluding chapter, he also mentions about the Aghori ascetics and their austere and banal practices that are meant to ‘conquer death by escaping the endless cycle of rebirths’. Jonathan Parry’s writing forms an extremely strong ethnographic narrative which manages to provide a detailed analysis of the symbolism of death rituals and the pilgrimage trade built around it.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and highly thought-provoking read. An academic contemporary text which clearly articulates a very detailed ethnographic account of his time exploring the spiritual hub of Banaras in North India - more commonly known as Varanasi. Great historical comparative reflections on Hinduism practices which is drawn to a provocative conclusion.