Nepal 35, Pashupatinath

I wandered across to the Pashupatinath Temple complex and the Bagmatti Ghats. Another World Heritage Site, the whole place is dripping with them.

The Bagmatti is a sacred river and a Ghat is the steps down into the river for bathing or cremation. Here is where the ritual of cremation is carried out. There are bodies burning here all the time day and night. The bodies are cleansed first with purified water from the Bagmatti and then placed within a pyre which is heavily incensed. Cremation is intended to aid the spirit to reincarnation. Apparently a number of elderly Hindu’s come here at the end of their life staying in a hospice. If one dies here they will be reincarnated as human irrespective of the life they have lived. According to the Rough Guide many Hindu’s approaching death are laid by the river to have their last drink from the sacred waters and that “probably hastens the end”.

It’s strange, I’ve seen many dead in my line of work and none have affected me in the way this did today. I’m not entirely sure why I went but, I did. I suppose there is something of the spectacle macabre about it! I would not say it was a spiritual draw it was more because in the guide book it was considered a place worth visiting.

Once I had paid to go into the area, I was plagued by guides and I didn’t want one. I’m always polite but, I had to tell them not to waste their time quite firmly. I went up and away from the pyres to what I thought was a respectful distance as this is a place of grief.

Sitting watching the process, the cleansing of the bodies (mostly covered of course) faces often exposed, the mourning relatives and the smoke, made me feel quite queasy. This was made all the worse by the disgusting state of the river, sludgy and full of rubbish. I understand people also bath in this river for purification. Really! I’m surprised people aren’t dying in their thousands from water borne diseases.

Apparently there was a row when the government decided to put a water treatment plant on the river to try and deal with the levels of pollution. The priests didn’t want it upstream of the temple as it would “un purify” the foul water and when it was placed below it it couldn’t cope with the amount of effluent!

I climbed up past a series of stone steps after crossing the river and find myself being addressed by a Sadhu (pronounced Shadu) a holy man. I know he wants money and I also know many have a miserable existence as an ascetic. They spend their lives in spiritual contemplation, renouncing worldly life in order to attain release from the endless cycle of reincarnation and death. They often sleep rough or here in the little stone crypts that were originally made for the wives of Royals that practiced self sacrifice ‘Sati’ by throwing themselves on their husbands funeral pyre. (That practice has pretty much gone now) As for the Sadhu, I do wonder if some are not actually suffering from some kind of mental illness or detachment, acquired or drug induced, who am I to say?

I had no wish to be blessed but, I did want to take a picture, he knew this so I submit to a blessing and give him a few rupees. Maybe it’s strange to him that I want his picture and no blessing, I guess he’s used to it.

I sit and I am anointed with tikka on the forehead and tapped on the head several times with a sort of stick whisk. I don’t understand any of the words but, he tells me I can take my pictures and we are both happy.

At a view point I am able to look at the temple complex. I don’t want to battle my way through the hawkers and beggars today, I feel somewhat detached myself so, I just sit and watch the scene, the monkeys and the people. Maybe I’m not used the Kathmandhu after all, I just want quiet which is impossible here!

Buck up Deb!

I get a taxi back to Thamel to meet Urmila for my Nepali lesson and afterwards I’m determined to work out how to get to the climbing wall I saw at Christmas.

After wandering around the right block several times eventually I find it down an alley and sat in the middle of a cafe, obvious really!

I get my climb. It’s a high wall at 50ft, the holds are highly polished with use and I have no chalk which makes it slippery. The shoes are too tight. I’ve paid (not very much) for the kit and someone to belay me so I’m going to enjoy it! I climb a route at my usual level, it was quite hard especially as it’s about twenty foot taller than I’m used to and I’m out of practice.

I didn’t realise there is a bell I’m supposed to ring when I get to the top, you never get that at Blue Spider climbing walls (Guildford). Perhaps I should suggest it!

Anyway I’ve had my climbing fix for now and feel much better for it. I’ll ache tomorrow!