RE-PRESENTING DEATH AND DYING IN THE HINDU HOLY CITY OF KASHI

Albeit we know that death is inescapable, we try to avoid it as long as we can so that we can enjoy the immediate and worldly pleasures. Conspicuously, the negative facet of death has always been emphasized. This study represents the positive aspect of death and, simultaneously, the importance of death for human existence. Interestingly, many scholars have discussed that a human being can never imagine his death, though he knows that he has to die. When we talk about death in relation to Kashi, we find most of the positive aspects of death and dying in Kashi. Though most of the Hindu religious texts have delineated the greatness of Kashi as one of the sacred places of pilgrimage, this study endeavors to show that not all people who die in Kashi will achieve moksha. It is interesting to note that for many Indian people, death is a matter of joy in Kashi. This study explores, though not restricted to, the question of death and dying in India in general and in Kashi in particular.