The first image captures a funeral procession in the alleyways of Varanasi, India.

In the ancient city, the deceased is carried through the alleyways to the edge of the Ganges River where the open air crematoriums are located. After a series of rites and the cremation of the body, the ashes are released into the holy river and the soul of the deceased is freed from the cycle of reincarnation.

It was fascinating to observe.