For me the joy of travelling is experiencing cultures and sights that are totally foreign to you and that put you out of your comfort zone. Unless you do some prior reading the things you experience could be quite confronting and even then the shock factor could still be there. If we had gone to Tibet and witnessed a Sky Burial I am sure this would have been the case. The other night Silvia and I witnessed a number of cremations which take place along 'ghats' [platforms upon which there was a pile of logs] along the sacred Bagmati river at Pashupatinath [Nepal's most important Hindu temple] in Kathmandu.
As long as the deceased has passed through natural causes they are transported by family members from wherever it was that they died, atop a stretcher through the streets to this place within a couple of hours. Of course the body is covered with sacred robes and flowers. This can occur at any time even during the middle of the night. Upon arrival at Pashupatinath the body undergoes a purification ceremony which involves washing the body with a mix of holy water and milk which flows from the temple above. The family then pay their respect with the immediate family, usually the son circling the body 3 times. From this point the body is transported to 1 of at least a dozen ghats that run along the river. The 2 that are at the upper end of the river and on the temple side of the bridge are reserved for the most important Nepalese members of society including members of the Royal Family. While we were there we viewed the cremation of a man who must have been part of the army force as the ceremony was overlooked upon by an ex-prime minister. The ghat that is chosen depends upon the Caste system [social structure]. Only pregnant women, holy women and children under 5 are not cremated in this way. The body is cremated through the use of camphor oil, straw and wood and takes 2-3 hours to burn. Whatever remains, which isnt much is simply pushed into the river. The Bagmati River flows into India's sacred river, the Ganges.
We were there to witness a couple of ceremonies and although it is very much in your face it is still a form of cremation. We were also fortunate to witness at close hand a Harati ceremony which is essentially a prayer ceremony which took place at night with three priests performing ritual moves as in a sort of dance while holding a few different sacred objects like a bronze oil lamp, a three tiers candle holder and another oil lamp which flame is protected by a circle of nagas (snakes).
The crowd behind us and in front of us was chanting and clapping in rhythm.
It was overall a very unique experience.
As long as the deceased has passed through natural causes they are transported by family members from wherever it was that they died, atop a stretcher through the streets to this place within a couple of hours. Of course the body is covered with sacred robes and flowers. This can occur at any time even during the middle of the night. Upon arrival at Pashupatinath the body undergoes a purification ceremony which involves washing the body with a mix of holy water and milk which flows from the temple above. The family then pay their respect with the immediate family, usually the son circling the body 3 times. From this point the body is transported to 1 of at least a dozen ghats that run along the river. The 2 that are at the upper end of the river and on the temple side of the bridge are reserved for the most important Nepalese members of society including members of the Royal Family. While we were there we viewed the cremation of a man who must have been part of the army force as the ceremony was overlooked upon by an ex-prime minister. The ghat that is chosen depends upon the Caste system [social structure]. Only pregnant women, holy women and children under 5 are not cremated in this way. The body is cremated through the use of camphor oil, straw and wood and takes 2-3 hours to burn. Whatever remains, which isnt much is simply pushed into the river. The Bagmati River flows into India's sacred river, the Ganges.
We were there to witness a couple of ceremonies and although it is very much in your face it is still a form of cremation. We were also fortunate to witness at close hand a Harati ceremony which is essentially a prayer ceremony which took place at night with three priests performing ritual moves as in a sort of dance while holding a few different sacred objects like a bronze oil lamp, a three tiers candle holder and another oil lamp which flame is protected by a circle of nagas (snakes).
The crowd behind us and in front of us was chanting and clapping in rhythm.
It was overall a very unique experience.
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