If you are uncomfortable with death and dying this post is not for you. I’m going to write about Pashupatinath, the place where Nepali Hindus take their dead for cremation. What I share here I learned from our guide at the temple. A young Nepali man named Sumit, full of information and a passion to share it.

Hindus burn their dead to free the soul from attachment to the body. This is a culture of reincarnation. Cremation happens next to the river, which is considered holy and sacred. Here the 5 elements of Hinduism are represented: wind, water, air, fire, earth. The final remains of the person will be tied in a cloth and tossed in the river to bring all the elements together. The exceptions to cremation are young children and Sadus (Holy men). It is believed that children haven’t lived long enough to gain deep attachments and Sadus, who are connected with god, transcend attachment.

When the body arrives at Pashupatinath, it is placed on the sacred stones by the river edge where family members or friends prepare the body by washing the feet and face and covering the person with white and orange cloths. White represents sadness and purity, orange represents sacrifice. They may be adorned with flowers in same colors with the addition of red for love. 

Those present for the funeral will gather around the pyre. The body will be circled 3 times to the right, representing the 3 gods, Vishnu, Brahama and Shiva, before lighting the fire in the mouth. The mouth is were the first breath was taken when life began and the last breath given when life ended. 

The cremation of people is a public event. We were there with a couple hundred folks, both Nepali and foreigners, on the banks of the river watching. This may sound gruesome but it’s not. It’s a part of life. It keeps the reality of our mortality in check. From ashes to ashes, dust to dust, this ritual highlights the circle of life. As we watched the lighting of a funeral pyre a class of school kids, maybe 8 years old walked past. I wonder what it would be like, how I may think differently if death were a daily or weekly part of life from that young age? 

Looking down on the people along the river
Flowers = marigolds, yellow and orange.
11 temples along the river