A mysterious number, 94, has recently gone viral after being spotted written on the ashes of the departed at Varanasi’s Manikarnika Ghat — one of India’s most sacred cremation sites. The cryptic number has sparked widespread curiosity and debate online: Why 94? What does it signify?
At Manikarnika, where life and death flow side by side along the Ganga, funeral fires never stop burning. Locals reveal that writing 94 on the ashes is an age-old ritual known only to those deeply connected to the ghats.
According to ancient belief, every human carries 100 karmas in a lifetime. Of these, 94 are within one’s control — shaped by choices and actions — while the remaining six (life, death, fame, disgrace, gain, and loss) rest in the hands of the divine.
Thus, inscribing 94 on the ashes symbolizes the release of all human-controlled deeds and the surrender of the soul to divine will. Once the number is marked, priests perform the final ritual — breaking a pot of water to sever worldly ties and guide the soul toward moksha (liberation).
To many, 94 isn’t just a number — it’s a sacred mantra of freedom, marking the soul’s journey from karma to eternal peace.
