Of all the questionable and otherwise disturbing images I’ve seen over my lifetime, none is more ingrained in my mind than the first cremation I witnessed at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi. I’ve long since given up on holding expectations of what I will see, do, and experience on my travels, but I never imagined that one day I would watch a man’s body burn to ashes before my very eyes. After my trip to Auschwitz a few months ago, I was curious what a cremation was like since I only knew about it in theory. It was merely a passing thought at the time, but here in Varanasi, my wish was unexpectedly granted and it’s an experience I will never forget.