Attending a Funeral

After the expedition briefing on Saturday morning, we were taken on a tour of the two most famous religious sites in Kathmandu. We didn’t know what we were in for.

The first stop was the Pashuptinath Temple, a Hndu site, located on the Bagmati River. Under Hindu beliefs, bodies must be cremated within 24 hours after death. The cremations take place on stone bulkheads on the river by the deceased’s family. Once the bodies are completely incinerated, the ashes are washed into the Bagmati River which connects to the Ganges, the holy Hindu river.

When we arrived, one cremation was being completed and the ashes brushed into the water. Another family was arriving with the body of the relative wrapped in the with the ceremonial cloth. They built a wooden pyre, placed the body on top, and lit some straw to help get the fire started. There were many people milling about visiting the temple and taking pictures of the event (our guide said that it was OK). It was a bit strange being in the middle of all of this, but it’s an everyday event to the Nepalis. In another section of the temple, a wrapped body lay on the ground with the family nearby.


Even though this is a sacred site, the place is littered with trash and the river is terribly polluted. Cows and dogs (sacred animals) wander wherever they wish to go.

I certainly didn’t expect to be attending a funeral in Nepal.

The second site we visited was the Bodhnath Buddhist stupa. This is the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Kathmandu and for centuries has been visited by pilgrims from Tibet. A stupa is a stone, bell shaped tower with strings of prayer flags draped from the pinnacle. It is a beautiful site to see them fluttering in the breeze.



We also visited an art school where Buddhist monks learn to paint spiritual paintings. The details in these paintings are quite amazing.

We had lunch in a rooftop restaurant overlooking the whole scene. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful setting for lunch.

We returned to the hotel to get packed for tomorrow’s flight into the mountains. We have to be ready to leave the hotel by 5:15 am, but who knows when our flight will be. Flights into Lukla keep only a general schedule. If the weather is good, they fly dozens of planes into the mountain airstrip, just 30 minutes from Kathmandu. If the weather is bad, they may be grounded for days backing up trekkers in both Kathmandu and Lukla waiting to get out.

Once we get into the mountains, internet access will probably be pretty limited. I’ll try to post when I can, but it will probably be fairly limited.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings.