From the archive record
This poignant footage captures a Hindu cremation ceremony taking place on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, filmed quietly from the opposite side of the river. From across the polluted waters, a small gathering of mourners can be seen standing near a burning funeral pyre, participating in the final rites of a departed soul. The flames rise gently as rituals are performed, reflecting centuries-old traditions that consider rivers sacred gateways between life and death. What makes this scene deeply moving is the stark contrast between the spiritual solemnity of the cremation and the visible state of the Yamuna in the foreground—its waters carrying thick pollution, froth, and waste. The sacred river, once central to purification and liberation rituals, now mirrors the environmental negle