Pashupatinath Temple

Pashupatinath is a huge Hindu temple complex several kilometers east of Kathmandu and about a 15-minute drive from Bodhnath. So we visited it from there. The temple is built along the west (right?) bank of the Bagmati River, which considered sacred by Hindus and Buddhists. Pashupatinath is considered to be the holiest Hindu temple in Nepal. Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple complex at all. We had to see everything from the other side of the river. The first thing we came to were rooms where the berieved live for one month after each cremation, then the cremation ghats for common folk.


Pashupatinath Temple	Burning ghats for poorer people

A bridge we couldn't cross	Farther up the river

Pashupatinath was the home of some of the more "interesting" sadhus we've seen. One apparently hadn't cut his hair in years. All were equally strange-looking. We distributed a few 5- and 10-rupee bills and moved on.


Sadhus

Beyong the bridge are the cremation ghats for richer folk, including, in the past, the Nepali royal family. There was one cremation being prepared and we watched as the defunct was moved onto the pire. The family then walked several times around the corpse, sprinkling it with various offerings. Then the fire was lit, presumably by the oldest son of the departed, and everyone settled down for a watch. We did feel funny about observing such a scene, but many Indians were watching from the bridge.


Women prepare the body on the right	The body is placed on the pyre

Offerings to the departed	Cremation

Elsewhere, other activities were taking place, seemingly in complete indifference to the cremation. People decorated a linga with flowers and monkeys ran and played in the sunlight.


Decorating a linga	Monkey

Pashupatinath Temple

Baby monkey	Monkey family

As were we walking back out, we saw one baby monkey drop out of a branch and run to mommy. They really are not that different from us. Then we drove the short distance back to Bodhnath for the afternoon.

The next day, we flew to Varanasi.

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