Nepal

After breakfast I decided to head to the Pashupatinath Temple, it’s a sacred Hindu temple where all Buddhists are cremated and given to the river.

I paid 1000nr entrance fee and was approached by a guide who I agreed could show me around. I would recommend to anyone that visits to pay a guide, they have the information!

The process of death is in stages. Starting at the top of the river the bodies are wrapped up and decorated in lotus flowers and other things. The body is then taken closer to the river where the feet are washed and cleansed. They then reveal the face and family’s members cleanse the face with cows milk and other things.

The body is then wrapped up and moved further down stream where the cremation takes place.

It was like a conveyer belt, more bodies arriving and moving step by step down the river.

The cremation takes around 3 hours. I didn’t take a photo of this but feet were poking through the end of the pyre, the undertaker loads it up with butter and once the bodies are cremated it is simply swept into the river.

I saw this happen and was expecting to see some remains but it’s all ash and once it’s in the river this is when death is final.Read more