One of the more unique experiences that we had during our trip to Kathmandu was to visit the Pashupatinath Temple, which is dedicated to Pashupati, a form of Shiva. The temple sits on the Bagmati River and one of the things that makes it unique are the Hindu cremation ceremonies, called an Antyesti, that take place along the river adjacent to the temple. For Westerners, seeing the ceremonies might seem strange, but it is an important ritual in the Hindu religion.
There are several stone platforms on either side of the temple and while we were there, most of them were being used to perform cremations. Family members that are able to make it to the ceremony gather around as the body is prepared and placed on wood that has been stacked on the platforms. The ceremony is performed soon after the family member is deceased, typically within a day, so often times not all family members are able to make it to the ceremony.
Our guide talked to us about some of the reasons behind the cremation ritual, some of it is pragmatic, but most of it is spiritual. Some who follow the Hindu religion believe that if you bury a person and create a headstone or location to visit after their passing, it keeps the living from moving on with their lives and causes them to continue grieving. The burning of the body allows their human spirit to rise to the afterlife and then the final remains are swept into the Bagmati River which is another way that allows the spirit to move on.
There are vendors selling food and other gifts in the area and it is important to remember that these are celebrations of the life of the person who passed. We also saw some cows grazing in the open areas near the temple and we learned that at times when a person was cremated their animals were released and allowed to live free. It was definitely an interesting experience and not like anything we had ever visited during our various travels.
