Mukti Bhavan Where People Check-In to Die

DN Special Correspondent
Varanasi. Moksha is the Hindu concept of liberation from the trials and troubles of life. It is when you give up all materialistic pleasures and become one with yourself or the Atman. Though moksha or true liberation can be attained even while living, it is believed that attaining moksha on your death-bed frees you from the cycle of life-and-death and your soul is free ever-after.

Holy cities in India like Varanasi are filled with devout asking priests to liberate them. The house or hostel named ‘Mukti Bhavan’ situated at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh gives people moksha. Though it sounds absurd, Mukti Bhavan sees thousands of visitors every year. The priests at the residence help perform rituals and rites that help the dying depart from the Earth in peace. In order to attain this salvation, they wait to die in this charity-run hostel.

Only people right on their death-bed are allowed. They could be ailing due to a disease or they “feel they will die”, they can stay at the house. Healthy and hearty people are not allowed to stay at Mukti Bhavan. People who are on their death-bed can check-in to Mukti Bhavan and stay there for 2 weeks. However, if the person does not die within 2 weeks, he/she has to leave Mukti Bhavan and give his/her room to someone else.

Mukti Bhavan has 12 rooms with a small temple and priest and all facilities for the guests. There are a lot of old people who visit the hostel and stay here. The hostel manager Bhairav Nath Shukla has been in-charge and praying for the salvation of these dying souls for the past 44 years. He lives with his family in the same compound and his family members are used to people dying in their hostel.

While it is mostly those who have no friends or family who comes here to die, Mukti Bhavan has seen its share of deaths. Once checked in, guests are bereft of their names. Their new identity becomes a number.