SHAFAQNA- Murali Mohan Sastri is peacefully awaiting death on the banks of the Ganges River in the northern Indian city of Varanasi, revered by millions of Hindus.
According to Reuters, the 82-year-old man, who was a former college teacher, lived comfortably with his wife in the southern city of Hyderabad more than a decade ago.
He hopes that by dying in Varanasi, he will be able to break the vicious cycle of death and rebirth that is the bedrock of faith for many Hindus and achieve salvation.
In this statement, although Western-style nursing homes are rising, Sastri is not interested in worldly comforts and prefers to spend his last days immersed in study and prayer.
“Our Hindu philosophy is that those who seek worldly comforts can never reach God,” he says.
More than a million people live in this ancient city, which is famous for its temples and bathing places along the holiest river of Hinduism.
However, religious people who cannot spend their last days in the city believe that if their remains are cremated there, they will find peace and be one step closer to salvation.
Source: Reuters