In Varanasi, India, you can check into the Mukti Bhawan, the “Salvation Hotel”, and never check out. According to Hindus, dying in Varanasi liberates you, even if you don’t share their religious beliefs. At Manikarnika Ghat, a holy cremation grounds along the Ganges, some 32,000 bodies are cremated each year.
The hotel is not a place for suicide or euthanasia. It is open only to people on their deathbed, for a maximum two week stay. If you are not lucky enough to pass away during your two week visit, you must leave. Other house rules include: being Hindu, believing in the idea of salvation, and abstaining from sinful activities, such as deathbed sex. Those with contagious diseases also are not allowed. Some 14,000 people have died at the hotel since 1958.
Interesting backdrop for a story. What would bring your character to the Mukti Bhawan. Assuming they don’t meet the house rules, what would they do to obtain a reservation? What salvation do they need? What happens next?
