Temple Tour

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Despite the hot and dry weather (and the fact that I can't wear shorts and spaghetti straps in this conservative country) and my dizziness (side effect of the anti-malaria tablets that I ingested), I still managed to take a tour around the Kathmandu Valley, visiting some of Nepal's most important temples from September 6 to 8. I guess, the fact that I had a tour guide and a chaffeur helped (thank you so much to my Thamel-based travel agent Bishnu Subedi).

On September 6, I went to Pashupatinath to witness the Teej Festival, also known as the Festival of Women.

Pashupatinath is one of Nepal's, and the Indian subcontinent's, most important Hindu temple. Located at the banks of the holy Bagmati River, it's a temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva.

During the Teej Festival, Nepali women go to Pashupatinath, clad in their red and gold saris, to call on Shiva to protect their husbands.

"But what if you're single? " I asked Nirmala, the pretty and giggly doe-eyed receptionist who works in Bishnu's travel agency and who accompanied me to my trip to Pashupatinath.

Nirmala, garbed in her festive green salwar kameez, is a single gal like me. She giggled and said, in broken english, that if I'm not married then I should ask Lord Shiva for a good hubby. Ah uh, ok.

Anyway, given that I'm not Hindu (and therefore I can't enter the temple) and given that I spent my time in Pashupatinath taking pics instead of praying, I don't think that Lord Shiva will be giving me any hubby soon ( that's good though, as I enjoy my freedom!).

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On September 7, I went to visit Bodnath Stupa owing to my personal interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Later, we went to Kopan Monastery to inquire about classes on Tibetan Buddhism. Unfortunately, I have no time to spare for a formal 10-day Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism course. I told the monk that I might do it some other time.
That night I called my nanay to greet her an advanced happy birthday (her birtday's on the 8th).


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September 8 - my guide and I went to visit Bhaktapur and Patan for another dose of Hindu Temples sight seeing . We walked around the cobblestone streets, which are again lined with shops, guesthouses and cafes. But the two compact towns in Kathmandu Valley still retained its old world charm. Nepalis, not tourists (unlike in Thamel) do live there, doing their stuff -cooking, selling food and clothes, making pots, worshipping in the temples, kids going to nearby schools.

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September 9 - took a tourist bus for a 7-hour trip to Pokhara.

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Photos

Red Letter Day
During the Teej Festival, Nepali women go to Pashupatinath to take a dip in the holy Bagmati River and pray for their husbands.

Off Limits
As I'm not a Hindu, I can't go inside Pashupatinath's temple

Pilgrims
Sometimes, you'll stumble on good subjects by accident. As I was looking for a good angle to take pics of Nepali women celebrating the Teej, I discovered these Indian pilgrims who gamely posed for pics. My lightweight digicam and the fact that they can see themselves in my camera screen amazed them

Monkee See, Monkee Do
Monkeys in Pashupatinath are soo fat and naughty. But what to do? No one can control these primates as they're considered holy. Hanuman, the Monkey God, is a much revered Hindu God.

Prime in Bodnath Stupa
I insisted in going to Bodnath as Im personally interested in Tibetan Buddhism