The sprawling beautiful (but crowded) Pashupatinath Temple in Katmandu. A central shrine and grounds are the center of festivals and home to 518 different smaller temples.
A school girl from a group visiting the temple and wanted to ask what I was going there in Katmandu
Overlooking the main entrance to the temples. Only Hindus pass the gates up the stairs and through the doorways. Pilgrims stand on the balcony and try to drop pennies onto the small shrines. If they land right...eternal good luck
A few of the hermits (this guy was suppose to be a 102 years old and hadn't moved from that spot for 30 years), wise men, musicians and worshippers that we found at the temple
The beginning of a ceremony and ritual that resulted in a blessing, ritual bathing and cremation of a Hindu father by his family
The blessing from the wife, sisters and daughters of the dead father. Flower and food offerings were made and the bodies feet were bathed in the river. I got permission from the family to document this process
This one burial wasn't the only one taking place but seemed to have the largest gathering and was more ceremonial
A drummer and singing accompanied the procession
The fathers feet had been washed and dried and was being moved to the cremation platform
The Hindu priest (or mortician?) prepared the pyre with wood and kindling before the final ceremony
The sons and brothers of the dead father placed offerings on the sheet covering the body and walked around the body three times (?). Then the priest lit a small piece of kindling to release the sins from the words he has spoken and then the fire was started under the body which slow grew into a all consuming blaze
Other cremations taking place that day
Have your picture taken with the Monkey King!
Some of the many worshippers at the temple. Families loved to have pictures taken with their kids in their finest.
Kids would use the bridge as a diving board to jump into the river though you would never get me in there. I saw a dead bloated goat float by shortly after I took this picture.
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