Going to the cremation ghats was a little as I expected it
to be, and at the same time nothing like I could have imagined. It wasn’t the easiest thing to watch,
BUT definitely an experience I will always remember.....along with the smell of burning bodies, which
I hope I never have to smell again. There
are many different rituals and beliefs that go into an open air cremation. All along the Bagmati river (which is by far
one of the dirtiest rivers I have ever seen and at the same time the holiest)
is where these cremations take place.
I was able to watch the entire process of a family who prepared their
loved one’s body to be cremated, in hopes and faith that their soul would be
carried on into another life. From watching
them wrap the body up, to making many offerings, to starting the body on fire
through the mouth, to watching the ashes get brushed into the river, is more than enough to take in for a day. To
say that this place is full of emotion is quite an understatement. And as hard as it was to watch it, their
customs were still unbelievably beautiful.
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| Many women placing offerings on the body |
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| Blessing the body with the holy water from the river |
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| Little boy pulling a magnet in the water in search of coins |
Although it is hard to believe that despite the massive amounts
of garbage all over the city, there ARE in fact garbage men here. Instead of using a big garbage truck to drive through the cities, they walk around with a dust pan and
little broom and sweep up whatever garbage they might find.
They even had garbage men near the cremation
sight, which was a little weird considering the river was full of garbage and
the ashes of dead bodies.
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| platform along the river |
On a lighter note, here is the reason I am a vegetarian in Nepal. :)
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| enough said |
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