The Sandip Roy Show
The inner lives of Varanasi's corpse burners ft Radhika Iyengar
Feb 18, 2024
Journalist Radhika Iyengar discusses her book 'Fire on the Ganges' which delves into the lives of Varanasi's corpse burners. Topics include building trust within the community, advocating for education, the normalization of domestic violence, struggles of Manikarnika Ghat workers, and emotional connections with the individuals featured in the book.
46:56
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Quick takeaways
- Radhika Iyengar gained the trust of Varanasi's dome community by observing and committing to documenting their lives.
- The domes of Varanasi are believed to hold a sacred fire essential for achieving moksha, facing challenges of discrimination and poverty.
Deep dives
Exploring the lives of the domes in Varanasi
The podcast episode delves into the lives of the domes, a community responsible for cremating the dead in Varanasi. The host interviews Radhika Anger, the author of the book 'Fire on the Ganges: Life Among the Dead in Benares', who spent several years documenting the dreams, aspirations, and challenges faced by the domes. The episode sheds light on the daily lives of the community and their unique position as caretakers of the sacred fire that is believed to bring salvation to Hindus.
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