Aging & Society: Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

The core values of spirituality in Varanasi (Kashi) revolve around the notion of Moksha (salvation), death, and dying. For ages, this sacred city has been a home to many elderly awaiting their imminent death in different old age shelters. The study selects six such shelters and examines the residents’ religious and spiritual orientations through interviews and field observations. The findings reveal that the advent of modernity in Kashi has brought in contradiction of sorts. Although religio-cultural mores were important in maintaining the city’s sacrality, at an individual level, the indoctrination and socialisation into the core Hindu values of renunciation were less than complete. Many residents lacked the ability to transcend the material concerns of the body and its need for care and support.