Kashi, Varanasi, Banaras, Benares, are the many names of the ancient city in India where Maa Ganga helps everyone reach the gates of heaven and attain salvation. And from this holy land is a famous quote ‘Kashi Marnam Mukti’ which means Dying in Kashi means ultimate salvation. People from all over India flock to Varanasi in their old age, wishing to breathe their last in the holy land and get cremated in the Manikarnika ghat. Why?
Because it is said that Lord Shiva himself whispers the Tarak mantra in the ears of the dead, helping them attain Moksha and mukti from the cycle of birth and death.
And in the holy city of Kashi is a home where people can only check in when they are nearing death, and cannot stay for over 15 days, so that the space can be given to someone who needs it.
This home is Mukti Bhawan, also called Kashi Labh Mukti Dham, and people can come here with or without money to spend their last days in Kashi and be cremated.
Mukti Bhawan welcomes everyone who believes that passing away in Varanasi liberates the soul from the cycle of birth and death, and does not segregate people on the basis of religion, class, or caste.
Mukti Bhawan is a small, 12-room guesthouse located in Varanasi, meant for people who believe they are in their last days and wish to die in the holy city. It has been a shelter for thousands of people over the decades, and has helped them attain their ways of salvation.
Many elderly people come to Mukti Bhawan with their family members and check in with the hope to die in the city. And while some of those people pass in under 10 days, the ones who survive for over 14 days are kindly sent back home to live life a little more with their family.
Inside Mukti Bhawan, death is not a matter or object of scare, but rather an event that will help people attain moksha, the ultimate aim of life. There is no fear of death, no mourning, but just an acceptance of what is to come.
And as Kashi ensures ‘Mukti’ for people, the elderly queue to spend their days here. And to avoid overcrowding, only those who are on the verge of death are allowed to stay in Mukti Bhawan. If someone shows no signs of passing away, they are kindly asked to leave. Along with that, a maximum stay of 15 days is permitted, and if death does not occur within this period, the person must leave and make space for others in need.
Post death, the last rites of the person are done in either Manikarnika Ghat or Harishchandra Ghat, with Hindu rituals.
