City that never dies shows us how to die well

Varanasi is a city that never dies – it’s one of world’s longest continually inhabited city. But it is also the city where thousands choose to die every year. This seemingly paradoxical pull has a deeper meaning. To choose a place to die is also, in some sense, to choose how to die – and that is as rare as it is profound. Most people spend their lives avoiding the thought of death. But in Varanasi, they walk toward it.

Here, death isn’t feared – it is folded gently into the rhythm of daily life. At the riverbank, near the burning ghats, time itself seems to slow, even dissolve. And in the heart of the city stands a quiet building that turns this surrender into a ritual: Mukti Bhawan. It offers something both simple and extraordinary – a room for the dying. For those in the last days of life, it provides a place to rest, reflect, and await the end in dignity. No religion, caste, or age bar. Most stay no longer than two weeks. The lodging is free, or ₹20 a night for those who can pay. A caretaker is mandatory and stays without charge.

Since 1999, Kalikant Dubey has been one of the people helping run the place. By his count, over 15,000 people have passed through Mukti Bhawan and found what he calls ‘mukti’. Of these, about 1,500 departures have happened in the past 12 years that he has been continually associated with the place.

What distinguishes those last moments? What separates a peaceful passing from a restless one? Dubey’s answer is simple: “Those who have lived without regrets, leave without regrets.” Of course, a life entirely without regrets isn’t possible. But a regret-lite life is – it is possible to reduce the weight of regret by speaking fewer harsh words, taking fewer thoughtless actions, and acknowledging the harm we have done before it’s too late. It is not an easy task. “The human mind is like a mafia,” Dubey says. “It’s difficult to tame.” His advice: just 10 quiet minutes a day spent looking inward can help begin that taming. A life led with reflection is a life led with fewer regrets – and perhaps, in the end, to a more peaceful farewell.

The city that never dies might just be showing us how to die well – and in doing so, how to live better.