Bob Seger sang of it…we did it. Kathmandu is a special place and our guide Sunil was terrific. He wouldn’t say, but I’d place him in his early 30’s, a handsome Hindu, he and his driver led us in an airconditioned bus to several iconic stops in this historic city. First up, a cremation ritual on the Bagmati River. Sunil told us the importance of ceremony and rituals to the Hindu culture, which makes up about 80% of the country. The death ceremony is the final stop in their journey before heading to heaven. Its manner depends on your status. Children are buried, adults cremated, and we went to a sacred site on the river where this process is systematically carried out. It is a big tourist spot, a bit odd, with vendors selling everything from jewelry, to art, to trinkets and nick knacks. As usual, I was a “mark”, finally relented and bought a necklace from a persistent woman whom Sunil told, I was the one to chase as “I had 5 girlfriends!” We also got a picture, and a blessing from a group of colorfully painted monks whom Sunil told us have dedicated their lives to serving the Gods. They spend their days meditating, praying, and live off money from tourists like myself. I sat amongst about 5 of these men, one of whom wrapped colored string around my wrist and tied it off in a nice bracelet. He talked me into increasing my gift to 500 Rupees (about $7 U.S. dollars), five-fold what I’d offered, but assured me that my whole family would be blessed. It actually felt very peaceful. Back to the cremation. The body is brought to the site within 24 hour of death and goes through a number of stages. First, its cleaned and rinsed with milk on a stone slab that angles down to the river. Cleansed, the body is brought to the next station where it’s prepared for cremation. Family members are there all the way, praying and mourning in their own way. The body is then brought to the cremation station where it’s placed above bundles of wood. Its mouth is stuffed with a flammable material and it’s there, where the youngest male in the family lights the fire. A priest supervises the activity to make sure everything goes according to custom. Every year, at the anniversary of the passing. The family returns to the site to pay homage to their descendant and this goes on for three generations. Talk about respect. It was a beautiful sight to behold, full of love, honor, and peacefulness (other than the hawkers).
Sunil told us about the three major Gods in the Hindu world. Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Protector; and Shiva, the Destroyer. Death is the realm of the Destroyer and Sunil told us that he is the most powerful and important of the Gods. In the Hindu religion, Sunil shared, you go through hundreds of thousands of lives, reincarnated to everything from plants, to insects, to animals, and finally human. If all goes well, you are a human once, and then go on to Heaven. Shiva is in charge of this. The human life is the most difficult, but of course, that’s part of the beauty. Throughout the day, we learned more about the religion and karma, and from it all, it’s clear to see why these are the most gentle people I’ve ever experienced.
We visited two other significant sites, the Budhanath Stupa, a massive concrete, hemispherical structure topped with a gilded tower and the painted eyes of the all-seeing Buddha. Built sometime after AD 600, colorful flags are strung around the structure from the base to the summit, in colors symbolizing the 5 elements, earth, wind, fire, air, and water. A multi-storied square of buildings encompasses the stupa, full of shops and restaurants and we took in coffee, I chose a tasty Nepalese beer (it was 5 O’clock somewhere!), and observed the masses from the rooftop.
Finally, we stopped at the Kathmandu Durbar Square. A spectacular site of temples, shrines, and even a palace where the last king resided. The buildings, built between the 12th and 18th centuries are mostly Pagoda style, with intricate detail and craftmanship. A highlight of the day was also a bit sad when measured by Western sensibilities. One modest temple featured a courtyard where we and a group of around 30 crowded together and waited patiently. Our attention was on the second story balcony, where a young princess was to appear. She was selected as a baby to fulfill her role which will keep her in unmarried service for life. Twice a day, she appears on the balcony for about 30 – 45 seconds and gazes downward, emotionlessly, at us folks below. We bow our heads, put our hands together as if to pray, and greet her with a “Namaste” to pay our respect. No pictures or filming of any kind is allowed. When the time’s up, she turns around and disappears back into her chamber until her next appearance 12 hours or so later. When one of us noted that she did not smile, Sunil shared that she’s not allowed to show any emotion, and if she does, something bad will likely happen noting a flood not so long ago attributed to an errant display of emotion. As sad a life as it seems, she “auditions” among many for the honor.
We got back to our place around 6:00 pm, exhausted from a very full and emotional day, getting ready to depart in the morning for Pokhara, where our luggage and motorcycles await for the next part of our adventure.
