Duet of the Doms

The drama, pageantry, and celebration of life and death at Banaras have proved magnetic for creative souls through centuries but it could also be a disconcerting experience, especially for the Doms, who carry out the cremation of bodies on the ghats of the Ganga here. Music is their refuge in the disturbing display of death they endure daily, alluded to by Manu Parekh in the title of his work, Duet of the Doms. Parekh’s Banaras series, his most well-known, is an ongoing project since 1979-80 and this fairly recent work brings focus on an aspect overlooked by most of the creative outpourings on the city.