Cremations performed on the roof of a building as Varanasi's Manikarnika Ghat is flooded. (PTI)
The holy city of Varanasi has been forced to halt cremations along the banks of the sacred river Ganges as deadly floods from monsoon rains hit parts of the country.
More than 100,000 people have been forced from their homes in recent days in northern Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Bihar as rain-swollen rivers burst their banks.
Around 30 people have been killed in the two states from the floods.
Floods have inundated the ghats or platforms on the edge of the Ganges in Varanasi, forcing families to cremate loved ones on the terrace roofs of nearby houses, Uttar Pradesh government spokesman Shailendra Pandey said.
"As the ghats are not available for cremation, the roofs of
havelis (old mansions) and other old houses along the
ghats are being used for cremation, but with great difficulty," Mr Pandey told news agency AFP.
Varanasi is the country's most sacred Hindu city where thousands flock to cremate relatives before scattering the ashes in the Ganges.
Cremations have also been affected in Allahabad, where pyres were being lit in nearby congested alleys, an official there said.
Earlier, people held cremations following heavy flooding at Daraganj ghat in Allahabad (AFP File)
At least nine people have died in Uttar Pradesh and another 19 in Bihar over the past two days as floods hit rural areas as well as some cities, disaster management officials said.
A total of 130,000 people are sheltering in relief camps across the two states and additional emergency workers have been deployed to help with rescue and relief efforts.
Several people have also been killed in Madhya Pradesh from flooding in the last 24 hours, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.