What is "shmashana"

thumb|Shamshana outside Indian village A shmashāna (or smashan) is a Hindu cremation ground, where dead bodies are brought to be burnt on a pyre. It is usually located near a river or body of water on the outskirts of village or town; as they are usually located near river ghats they are also called smashan ghat.

The word has its origin from Sanskrit language: shma refers to shava ("corpse"), while shana refers to shanya ("bed"). The other Indian religions like Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism also use shmashana for the last rites of the dead.