Skip to main content

Everyone Needs Them. Nobody Wants Them | Doms of Benaras

The Dom Community of Manikarnika Ghat | The Men Who Guard Moksha

For centuries, the Dom community has been at the heart of the traditions of Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi. They perform one of Hinduism’s most sacred responsibilities, helping families carry out the final rites of their loved ones. Yet, despite their role, this community has faced generations of social exclusion and discrimination.

Rows of copper attar stills lined up in a small Kannauj workshop, steam rising off the flames
History

Kannauj: The Town That Bottles Every Smell

Kannauj: The Town That Bottled Every Smell We’ve all had those strange moments of catching…
the night sky showing the constellations of Purva and Uttara Bhadrapada
Culture

Purva and Uttara Bhadrapada: The Story of Two Nakshatras

The Hindu Months Inspired by the Cosmic Nakshatras What if the cosmos refuses to let…
Rabindranath Tagore tying rakhis on the streets of Bengal, 1905
History

When Raksha Bandhan Was Weaponised Against Partition

When Raksha Bandhan Became an Act of Protest Tying a thread on her brother's wrist,…
Lord Hayagriva, the horse-headed form of Lord Vishnu
Culture
Hayagriva Jayanti: The Day Vishnu Wore a Horse’s Head
Snake boat race of Kerala during Onam
Culture
Snake Boat Race: The Story Behind Kerala’s Onam Tradition
scientist in a lab coat examining an ancient bone fragment under lab light
History
The Dead Are Talking: How DNA Is Rewriting India’s History
a Dom worker tending a burning pyre at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi
Culture
Dom Community: The Guardians of Moksha at Manikarnika Ghat
villagers smeared in butter and buttermilk celebrating in a Himalayan meadow
Culture
Butter Holi Festival: The Holi Played With Butter, Not Colour
Vikram lander touching down on the Moon's south pole
History
Chandrayaan-3: The Landing That Gave India Its Own National Space Day

Watch Now

View More
Rows of copper attar stills lined up in a small Kannauj workshop, steam rising off the flames
History

Kannauj: The Town That Bottles Every Smell

Kannauj: The Town That Bottled Every Smell We’ve all had those strange moments of catching…
the night sky showing the constellations of Purva and Uttara Bhadrapada
Culture

Purva and Uttara Bhadrapada: The Story of Two Nakshatras

The Hindu Months Inspired by the Cosmic Nakshatras What if the cosmos refuses to let…
Rabindranath Tagore tying rakhis on the streets of Bengal, 1905
History

When Raksha Bandhan Was Weaponised Against Partition

When Raksha Bandhan Became an Act of Protest Tying a thread on her brother's wrist,…
Lord Hayagriva, the horse-headed form of Lord Vishnu
Culture
Hayagriva Jayanti: The Day Vishnu Wore a Horse’s Head
Snake boat race of Kerala during Onam
Culture
Snake Boat Race: The Story Behind Kerala’s Onam Tradition
scientist in a lab coat examining an ancient bone fragment under lab light
History
The Dead Are Talking: How DNA Is Rewriting India’s History
a Dom worker tending a burning pyre at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi
Culture
Dom Community: The Guardians of Moksha at Manikarnika Ghat
villagers smeared in butter and buttermilk celebrating in a Himalayan meadow
Culture
Butter Holi Festival: The Holi Played With Butter, Not Colour
Vikram lander touching down on the Moon's south pole
History
Chandrayaan-3: The Landing That Gave India Its Own National Space Day
Fort St George standing beside the Bay of Bengal coastline
History
Madras Day: How a Fishing Village Became Today’s Chennai
A waterwife balancing water pots on a dirt trail at dawn
Places & People
Denganmal’s Waterwives: Where Men Marry for Water, Not Love
Hands joined together in a circle symbolising unity and harmony
History
Sadbhavana Diwas: The Pledge Nobody Remembers