Kathmandu - A Day at Pashupatinath & Bodhnath

On a bluebird day, I ventured out to see more of the sights of Kathmandu. Today I wanted to see something new and something old. First off, I decided to visit Pashupatinath, a temple I first saw when we were here 15 years earlier. Pashupatinath, one of Nepal's most important Hindu and Shiva temples, stands on the banks of the Bagmati River, between Kathmandu and the airport, and slightly southwest of the hotel where we are staying. It is also one of the more popular places to be cremated and there is almost always a cremation taking place on one of the many ghats that line the Bagmati River. 

Afterward I struck out to see something new. Northeast of Pashupatinat, and literally at our backdoor of our hotel, is the Bodhanath Stupa, the largest stupa in Nepal and the religious center for Nepal's considerable population of Tibetans. Ringed by a large market with lots of stall selling art and artifacts, and nearby to several thriving monasteries, Bodhanath is a Tibetan town of sorts where the faithful circumambulate the large stupa in the morning and the late afternoon performing rituals handed down from generation to generation…

(1) Pashupatinath:

One of four burning ghats used for cremations at Pashupatinath. The log fires are laid, a shrouded body lifted on top and a fire is lit with little apparent ceremony. Once the cremation is complete the ashes are then swept into the Bagmati river…

Logs in place, a ghat is readied for another cremation…

There is a cow in the middle of the road... A COW??? Holy cow…

Reflecting on life on the banks of the Bagmati River, while a body is prepared for cremation on the opposite shore…

Monkeys have the run of the Hindu Temple grounds... But even the monkeys seem to be respectful of the funeral procession that takes place on the opposite bank of the river…

These ladies are descending the stairs from the temple itself down to the river bank. The temple, one of the most important Hindu temples in Nepal and one of the most important Shiva temples on the continent, is off limits to non-HIndus…

Observing the activity on the river from the upper terrace of the temple… 

An NBA starting team worth of sadhus working the crowd… A couple of rupees will buy you a picture and conversation… 

Stone carving on one of the 11 chaityas or small stupas that overlook the river…

The view from the highest terrace looking down on the Bagmati River, the cremation ghats, and a number of the smaller stupas and shrines that dot the temple grounds…

Cremation complete, the remaining ashes are pushed into the river…

Bringing in more straw for the funeral pyre…

A quiet calm seems to descend over the grounds as a couple of ghats are readied for the next cremations…

Two ladies sitting in the sun watching the action on the opposite bank of the river…

This gent looks to be settling in for the afternoon on the bank opposite the ghats…

Not sure if these four ladies find the activity amusing, tiresome or…

Man: Should I feed the monkey something? 

Monkey: Will he feed me something tasty?

A meal and a prayer on the banks of the Bagmati River...

(2) Bodhnath: 

And for a change of pace: The upper half of the giant Bodhnath Stupa, with prayer flags fluttering the early afternoon breeze…

One of the many bronze prayer wheel that ring the stupa…

Yak butter candles inside one of the rooms in the Ajima Shrine, honoring the goddess of smallpox, at the base of the Stupa…

Under Buddha's watchful eyes, a worker replaces a string of lights that will be lit up at dusk…

A decorative statue on one of the tiers of the Stupa; in the background, the roof of one of the gompas, or temple, of which there are several surrounding the Stupa…

Sleeping temple dogs… 

The niche in the wall above the dogs contains five small prayer wheels, which are turned by the faithful as they walk on their Kora, or devotional clockwise circumnavigation around the base of the stupa. There are 147 niches which means a lot of wheels to turn… 

To the left of the prayer wheel is a small image of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha... Around the base of the stupa are 108 such images, which the faithful first touch with their hands and then place the hand to their forehead as they chant a prayer to the Buddha…

Beads and other religious artifacts for sale in one of many shops around the Stupa…

Festive masks are also for sale…

This woman is filling the candle holders with fresh yak butter wax and cotton wicks…

Turning the prayer wheels as he circumnavigates the base of the stupa on his kora…

Taking a break, he watches the faithful on their trip around the Stupa... This man told me he was going to make three trips around the Stupa as he said he had a lot to be thankful for…

As the afternoon gives way to evening, this man is walking toward the Bodhanath Stupa in time for the evening festivities…

Helping their mother or grandmother make her way to the Stupa…

Buddha sees all, even through a tangle of wires… 

Just before dusk, the narrow path leading to the Stupa is full of people coming and going…

Checking out some reading material at a local book store opposite the Stupa… 

Nightfall and one of the smaller spires is festively lit up... So is the base of the Stupas dome in the background…

All pictures taken with a Nikon 1 and a variety of lenses...