AllMovie

This documentary is set on the Ganges at Benares. The Ganges is the sacred river of the Hindus. It is visited by Hindus from around the world and tourists. At Benares, as in other riverside places, the locals cremate their dead and release their ashes into the water. They also perform many other religious rites and ceremonies. Amidst the ashes of the dead, and the occasional sunken corpse, the devoted come to bathe, drink, and pray in the holy water. In one scene, a boy washes his bicycle in the river as a corpse is sunk next to him. The film is narrated by Gopal, a boatman who provides his often humorous commentary upon the daily activities. Included are his discussions of how the locals bilk the tourists.