Advertisement
Published: December 16th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Temple tree
Another temple/tree combination. In this instance, the entire tree is being supported by the temple structure. A few days after the big festival at Pashpatinath we headed there again in the morning with Lilia’s aunty Ami. On a normal weekday morning, life at Pashupatinath is lively but not overwhelming. Ascetics in orange robes, many of them from India, make Pashupati their place of residence. People from all over the country come there for various rituals, some for good luck, some in honor of departed people, some to mark special life occasions. Pashupati is an extremely ancient holy site, consisting of acres of land. It covers a large sprawling area, with hidden nooks and crannies containing hundreds of temples of varying sizes and ages.
As a holy Hindu temple site, Pashupati is an important place for cremations. Along the Bagmati river there are stone platforms that are used for that purpose. When a person dies they are cremated within the same day. Their body is covered with a special saffron colored cloth and carried to the river. Very wealth people can afford to have their body burnt in sandlewood. For the very poorest there is no wood- their body might simply be tossed in the river.
One of the tragedies of Kathmandu is the horrible pollution that desecrates
Cow heaven
I can never resist taking a photo of cows. These cows are smart, having taken up residence in such holy Hindu temple grounds. Cows are the most sacred animal to the Hindus, and so I am sure that these ones are given lots of love and nourishment by the Hindu pilgrims there. the Bagmati river. As we stood upon the bridge looking down into the water Lilia had two questions “Why is the water so dirty?” and “Why are there people walking in the dirty water?” to which Ben replied “This is Nepal” Surprisingly that seemed to satisfy her curiosity for the time being.
It has been interesting responding to Lilia’s questions about Nepal
“Why are there no sidewalks?”
“Why is there blood on the road?” (from a butcher’s shop)
“Why are some people wearing no shoes?”
And after I gave my fried chicken leg to two street children who came up to me asking for it “Why did those kids take your chicken?” Her questions are never-ending, and with the typical lack of tact unique to children, tend to hit right into the center of the poignant differences between life here and life in the States.
Pashupati has one very famous temple, which is closed off to “Non-Hindus”. What this means is that if you are South Asian, you are allowed inside. If you are white, you are not. Ironically this rule denies entry to some of the most stringent vegetarian, yoga practicing, Krishna mantra chanting white people, while
The Burning Ghats
These platforms are used for burning bodies. In the background you can see a pile of burning material. That is most likely a cremation taking place. The idea of death is accepted much more readily in Nepal. The idea of a burning body seems grotesque to Western people but is just a part of life to people in Nepal and India. If you click the picture so it is bigger, you can get an idea of how dirty the water is.
granting access to carnivorous, alcohol consuming Buddhists or Christians or Atheists if they have dark skin, or Asian features. I had considered trying to sneak in amongst the crowd during the huge festival where I was less likely to be noticed, but since we left early that day I didn’t have a chance. As a woman married to a Nepalese man, I should be allowed inside but so far they have been very inflexible with the rules. A form of reverse discrimination, it is nonetheless their prerogative to decide who is allowed entrance and who is not. So while as a woman married to a Nepalese man I am always offended by being denied entrance, I also have to respect the fact that in some aspects of life they are able to maintain their own standard and keep it, despite pressure from foreigners to change.
Having arrived late that day, we didn’t explore more than the lower river area of the temple. I am always impressed by the rows and rows of small temples scattered around the grounds, some of them with intricate stone carvings. Many of these temples have gaping holes with hack marks in the stone where statues
Bridge over the river
In the background there is a cremation ceremony starting, but it is hard to see in the photo. This bridge looks out over the river. have been stolen. As a student I remember touring Pashupati with one of the archeology professors at Tribuvan University here. He could point to those gaping holes, describe the missing statue, and then identify the Western museum in which it now resides. I am still at a loss as to how that is possible or justifiable, but unfortunately it is true. It is interesting how imperialism thrives in more subtle and insidious forms. Foreign aid is another version of that same problem, but I won’t start to rant and rave about that here and now.
I would like to thank everyone who has been sending comments and messages to the blog. It takes a long to time to do the blog itself, the net is slow, and typing difficult so I haven’t been responding to everyone. But I appreciate the feedback very much. It makes it worth all the time I have been putting into it.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.059s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 57; dbt: 0.0326s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Elaine Garan
non-member comment
Blog time
It must take you hours to put these blogs together. They're so well-written. It feels as if they should be published somehow. How long does it take you to do a blog? It makes me want to visit. Maybe next time you go I can go too. I'll have to start saving my money. I wish I could have seen Nepal now through 5-year old Lilia's eyes. I suppose when and if I ever visit, she'll be older and less wide-eyed and full of questions, maybe. Or then again, maybe not. Maybe she won't lose that sense of wonder. Love, Mom