The River Ganges in India is the most precious of rivers to Hindus. Believed to be an extension of God, the water is so sacred that no Hindu dares to lie or be deceitful when holding Ganges water in hand.
Hence it is most famous as a place for retirement or cremation. Dr B. D. Tripathi, an environmental and water pollution expert at Banaras Hindu University, estimates 32,000 human corpses are cremated there each year with up to 300 tonnes of half-burnt human flesh released into the water.
There is belief that Ganges water can break samsara (the cycle of wandering) and earn you moksha (eternal liberation), turning death into a positive event. How positive it is for those still alive, on the other hand, is questionable.