The Manikarnika Ghat Poem by Jagannath rao Adukuri

These people have come here
To solve existence problems
On the river that washed sins,
Human bodies and buffaloes.
They came from a far off river land
Where sins are equally washed.
They are wearing dark glasses
And their lungis above kneecaps.
They speak an ancient tongue
And eat mounds of liquid rice.
But when their boat reaches
Within sight of the Manikarnika ghat
They are deeply afraid in their eyes
Like you, me and our ancestors.

(Watching a boatful of Tamil pilgrims on the holy river of Ganges in Varanasi)

(Manikarnika ghat is the ghat (river steps) where one meets life and death: it is the cremation ghat on the Ganges in Varanasi.It is believed that the soul will attain liberation if the body is cremated here.)