Sam Remi
Pashupatinath Temple: Sacred Hindu Site On The Banks Of Bagmati River – You grumbled as I approached you to take a picture of the fire. He wore black pants and a gray jacket, you folded your hands in prayer. Your long fingers touched your cheek hair.
We stopped at the top of the Bagmati River facing Pashupatinath, a temple and pagoda-like complex dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is the holiest site for Hindus in Nepal and one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. Here religious Hindus come to cremate their dead.
Pashupatinath Temple: Sacred Hindu Site On The Banks Of Bagmati River
On the ghats, the wide steps that run along the banks of the river, the corpses – about a dozen, each wrapped in white cloth and smeared with calendula – are dipped three times in holy water, then burned, releasing their spiritual essence. man from his physical form and allowing him to be reborn.
Nepal Pashupatinath Temple
You feel good, as you have seen many times in your 50-something years. But I, with sneakers, a quilt and a camera around my neck, was definitely an intruder. The situation is clear to me. I saw the silhouettes of monkeys leaping between the colorful roofs as the white flames spread like lanterns across the river. Men with long sticks lit this fire, begging them to burn more. The ashes and corpses were later washed away by the river, screaming and smoking in their final resting place.
Although death hovers around us, I see you are not sad. As it turned out, no one did. Your face is cold, soft. There are no distorted symptoms of pain or distorted pain that calls for sympathy.
The music is coming from somewhere, from the stairs above us, behind the fan lines. Are there any singers? Is it a portable CD player? I can’t tell and it doesn’t seem to matter. Children cling to their mothers’ colorful saris balloons as two dancers spin silver bowls of fire, making circles and turns in the night sky. Sometimes you shout along with the rest of the crowd. Word? To go? Your part in the song together? I don’t know When the music stops, your hands fall. I feel your eyes on me.
Your downcast eyes tell me you’re trying to practice my fast American accent. This time I spoke slowly.
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That’s not a lie either. Maybe because I don’t believe in death, it makes no sense to celebrate the dead to take them to a new life in a place I can’t see, touch or imagine. Where I come from, death is not a celebration. Funerals are a private matter. Crying and sorrow are just as necessary as silence and pain. It is the end, not the beginning.
I think you want to ask more questions and I want to answer them. Instead, silence fell between us like a crow and we returned to the fire. Put your hands together and the volume of your voice starts up again. I cut you off.
The next day I asked my Nepali speaking friend if there is a word similar to “tomorrow” in your language. Not that he knows, she said. We’ve been thinking about this for a while: Did you really say tomorrow? Do you know the English word? If so, perhaps you mean reincarnation? Rebirth? In the future, do you respect the dead? I will never know the answer because I never spoke to you again.
I’m sorry. I should have smiled and asked you what you thought, I invited you to repeat yourself. Instead, I sank into the word I thought I heard and let it consume my body.
Kathmandu Nepal Pashupatinath Temple Famous Sacred Stock Photo 1444244783
I thought of you and others around me, standing there praying for tomorrow, as I stood there not believing what I couldn’t see. A person who doesn’t believe in God, but feels connected to something bigger than me. A man whose spiritual knowledge is not as deep as the rain puddles that formed at our feet.
The words overwhelmed me, I became wistful. Or is it empty? Maybe it’s guilt or shame. No, it’s clear: unlike you, I’m the one who takes tomorrow for granted.
The word may not have been what you said or meant, but it changed something in me.
Even if I look like I feel like an intruder in your temple, give me a chance before me, as death always does, no matter where we come from, and whether we believe in death. And thank you, I closed my eyes, folded my hands and thanked those who listened for the gift of tomorrow that turned into today.
At Pashupatinath Temple, A Famous And Sacred Hindu Temple …
, winner of SATW’s 2012 Lowell Thomas Award. Read more about her at www.kimberleylovato.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @kimberleylovato.
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Cookie Privacy Notice: Our website uses cookies to advertise, analyze and improve our site and services. We do not sell personal information. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. For more information, including how to change your preferences, see our privacy policy. Find out more. OK thanks. The Pashupatinath temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The age of the temple is uncertain, but legend suggests that its existence dates back to 400 BC.
The complex contains 518 temples, buildings and structures. The main temple is designed as a pagoda-like structure, located in the courtyard of the fort and guarded by the Nepalese army and the Nepalese military police. Features of the main pagoda include carved wooden beams, spherical carvings and other sculptures. The four main doors of the pagoda are covered with silver paintings, while the last one is made of gold.
Pashupatinath Temple, Timings, History, Travel Guide & How To Reach
The temple has two inner chambers housing the deity Pashupatinath (AKA Shiva). Near the western entrance to the temple is a bronze statue of the bull Nandi, the sacred vehicle or vehicle of Shiva. The temples in the complex are designed according to Vaishnav (Vishnu) and Shaiva (Shiva) traditions. The main idol is a stone deity with four faces representing different aspects of Shiva, Sadyojata (or Barun), Vamadeva (or Ardhanareshwara), Tatpurusha, Aghora and Ishan (mental). Facing the four directions and the zenith, they represent the five primary elements (earth, water, air, light and ether).
Unlike other Shiva lingams in India and Nepal, this Pashupati Shiva idol is always covered in gold except during prayers. The pouring of milk and water from the Ganges River (ganga jal), which are standard Hindu rituals, is possible only during the abhishek prayer and is performed only by high priests. Only the senior Bhatta priests can touch the Pashupatinath idol, while the Bhandari priests assist the Bhatta priests in the daily pooja rituals.
The April 2015 earthquake in Nepal hit the Pashupatinath temple complex where some of the outer buildings were badly damaged. Only Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains of Indian origin are allowed to enter the temple. Hindus of Western descent and non-Hindus have limited access to the temple grounds.
Take a taxi from central Kathmandu to Pashupatinath, which will cost you around $15. Guides cost around $10, while non-Hindus can enter the temple with a $10 entry fee. The temple grounds are open from 4:00 AM to 7:00 PM. : 00, while the inner temple is open from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for morning worship and sightseeing and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for evening prayer and sightseeing.
Pashupatinath Temple Famous Hindu Shrine Editorial Photo
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Is Pashupatinath Is Worth Visiting Destination For Non Hindus?
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English: Pashupatinath Temple (Nepali: पुशुपतिनाथ मंदिर) is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupatinath and is located on the banks of the Bagmati River 5 km northeast of the Kathmandu Valley in the east of Kathmandu, [1] the capital of Nepal. This temple is considered one of the holiest temples of Hinduism. The temple serves as the abode of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath. This temple complex has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.[2][3] This “expanded”.
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