As I spent more time at the ghats in Varanasi, watching the Doms perform their work, I couldn’t help but be struck by their deep connection to both life and death. The Doms, a caste often linked with death and cremation, are both an essential and paradoxical part of the fabric of this holy city. As I watched them carry out their work, I often found myself reflecting on the complexity of their position in society—vital yet marginalised, revered yet excluded. I found myself thinking about their role with both admiration and sadness, as it highlighted the delicate balance between spiritual duty and social stigma. The Doms are revered for their sacred responsibility, but they are also ostracised due to the very nature of their work.

The term Dom derives from the Sanskrit Doma, meaning "to burn" or "to cremate". The Dom caste is one of the oldest in Varanasi, and the role is inherited, passed down through generations. Unlike many other jobs, becoming a Dom is not a matter of choice, but rather a familial responsibility. Children born into Dom families are expected to take on the sacred task of overseeing cremations and managing the rituals associated with death. For the Doms, it’s a path that binds them to the spiritual and physical realities of life and death.

The Role of the Doms

The Doms are responsible for the delicate, yet important, task of overseeing the cremations that take place along Varanasi’s ghats. Their work involves managing the funeral pyres, preparing the bodies, and guiding families through the intricate rituals required for a Hindu funeral. Their hands, skilled in the ancient traditions, handle each aspect of the process with a quiet solemnity, from laying the body on the pyre to stoking the flames. It’s a job that requires both physical strength and deep spiritual knowledge, as the Doms help usher the deceased into the afterlife, preparing them for liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

As I observed them day after day, I grew to understand that their role goes far beyond simply lighting the fires. The Doms also act as spiritual guides, offering prayers, performing rituals, and ensuring that everything is done according to tradition. They play a crucial role in facilitating the deceased’s transition to the next life, ensuring the journey is as smooth as possible.

Despite their essential role in society, Doms are often treated as outcasts due to the caste system. Because they handle death and cremation, they are considered impure by those from higher castes, leading to a complex and contradictory relationship with the rest of the community. This exclusion, however, doesn’t diminish the importance of their work, it only highlights the social contradictions embedded within the very structure of Varanasi.

Economic and Spiritual Aspects

In Varanasi, cremations are not just about the physical process of burning the body; they are a deeply spiritual event. Yet, they are also entwined with practical considerations, particularly economic ones. The Doms charge fees for the cremation services they provide, and the costs vary depending on the type of wood used for the funeral pyre. The more expensive and sacred sandalwood is often reserved for the wealthy, while poorer families opt for less expensive wood, such as bamboo. The fees are necessary for the Doms to sustain their livelihoods, but they are also symbolic- how much a family can afford to spend reflects their ability to honour the deceased in the most appropriate way. There were times when I’d see half-burnt bodies floating in the Ganga, not fully cremated. This often happened because the family could only afford a small amount of wood, not enough to finish the cremation. It was a sharp reminder of the tough realities many families face. Even though the ritual is sacred, financial struggles meant some souls didn’t get the full respect they deserved in death. These incomplete cremations really show the harsh reality of how spiritual practices and economic hardship collide in Varanasi.

Despite their central role in the funeral process, the Doms remain on the margins of society. The stigma surrounding death means that they are often pushed to the edges, both socially and culturally. Many Doms live in segregated communities near the ghats, separated from the wider population. Their work, vital as it is, ensures that they remain locked into a cycle of marginalisation, where their status is defined by the very nature of the work they do.

This dynamic adds another layer of complexity to the Doms' lives. While they are essential for the smooth functioning of death rituals in Varanasi, they are denied the social mobility that might come with other professions. They are caught between their sacred duty and the discrimination that comes with their caste, creating a paradoxical existence where reverence and rejection coexist.

The Paradox of the Dom’s Role

The Dom caste in Varanasi represents one of the starkest examples of the contradictions that arise from the caste system. Their work is indispensable to the spiritual life of the city, yet their status remains low, relegated to the margins. As I watched them at work, I couldn’t help but wonder how the Doms themselves reconcile this duality. They are entrusted with the sacred task of lighting the fires that guide the souls of the deceased to their final resting place, yet they are forced to live in the shadows, outside of the social and cultural embrace of the city.

In many ways, the Doms’ role is one of huge sacrifice. They bear the weight of death in ways that most of us cannot begin to comprehend. But through this, they ensure that the ancient rituals of Varanasi continue, preserving the sacred link between life, death, and liberation. The work they do, though misunderstood by many, holds a quiet power that cannot be denied.

As I left the ghats each day, I often found myself reflecting on the complexity of the Doms’ position in society, wondering about the tensions that run through their lives. Vital yet marginalised, revered yet excluded, the Doms embody a unique and paradoxical role in the spiritual life of Varanasi, one that continues to shape both the city and its death rituals in ways that are both sacred and deeply human.