Hindu Funeral at Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal

2 minutes

Hindu Funeral at Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal.

Dozens of Hindu funerals take place every day at Pashupatinath Temple by the Bagmati River in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.

A visit to Pashupatinath Temple is a must for any traveller to Nepal. It’s included in any one-day trip’s itinerary of Kathmandu.

And, if you happen to be there you won’t miss the Hindu funeral ceremonies that occur on a daily basis.

Similarly to any other type of funeral, attending this ceremony is a very sad experience.

The saddest moment of the whole funeral, in my opinion, it’s when the female family members salute the dead for the last time.

Then, the male members take the defunct to the Smashan, the Hindu cremation ground.

They place the body on the funeral pyre and set it on fire.

As my guide explains to me, in Hindu funeral women symbolise birth and they cannot enter to the Smashan area, which instead it symbolises death.

Pashupatinath Temple is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley.

It’s the largest temple complex in Nepal. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the most powerful Hindu deities.

Following there is a collection of photos I captured during my visit to Nepal. I hope you may find it interesting.

Hindu funeral at Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Hindu funeral on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Nepalese men take the dead to Smashan Hindu cremation ground on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Hindu funeral on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Cremations on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Hindu funerals at Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Nepalese family seat on the bank of the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Three young Nepali men drag wood for cremations on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Smashan Hindu cremation ground on the banks of the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Smashan Hindu cremation ground on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Bagmati River. Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal.

A Nepalese couple watches cremations on the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple. Kathmandu, Nepal.

For more photos about Nepal visit my page Nepal on this site. You may also want to check my Travel page.