# Film footage of a cremation scene in Benares, India, by Roger Dumas, circa November–December 1927 Film footage of a cremation scene in Benares, India, by Roger Dumas, circa November–December 1927. This was filmed at a ghat on the bank of the Ganges. This film footage was taken by Roger Dumas of The Archives of the Planet project \[French: Les archives de la planète\], a massive undertaking led by French banker Albert Kahn to document the world’s diverse cultures in picture before modernization & globalization permanently changed them forever. File name: Scenedecremation AI13077 Note: The name of the city is alt. spelt as 'Banaras'. Another name is 'Kashi'. Nowadays, it is called 'Varanasi'. Title: Scène de crémation \["Cremation Scene"\] Copyright: Freely reusable (CC-BY-4.0) Field: Moving images Identifier: AI13077 Location(s): Ganges, Benares, India Operator(s): Dumas, Roger Mission: 1927 - India - Roger Dumas - (November-December) Duration: 00:03:00 min Sound: Not specified Intertitles: No information on intertitles Description Current description: Cremation ceremony. Sandalwood is placed on the most popular cremation ghât, Manikarnika Ghat (the second most popular being Harishchandra). There, the wealthiest families take their places on high, while the poorest stand at the river's edge. The body is purified in the Ganges before being placed on the pyre, which the eldest son (or, failing that, a nephew) lights using clarified butter, circling it seven times clockwise. The next day, relatives come to collect the ashes (and the remains when the family has not… - Kind: Short - Year: 1927 - Runtime: 3 min - By: Roger Dumas (1891–1972) - Archive: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Film_footage_of_a_cremation_scene_in_Benares,_India,_by_Roger_Dumas,_circa_November%E2%80%93December_1927.webm) - Licence or status: [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) (as the archive states it) - Credit: Roger Dumas (1891–1972) - Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects) [Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/commons/180571447?play=1)