Nepal, Travel and Photography: Life and Death

The morning spent in the little Bagmati village proved to be productive and fun, but eventually we have to move on. Many of my fellow trevelers continue to fire off their cameras through the window of our bus, like a accorded rythm, but I slowly put on my JBL earphone and turn on my iPod to listen to music and a small nap, not that I have no desire to shoot more nor I no longer have interest, just to have a short mental break, while the bus started, and roll on to our lunch destination.
Our lunch today is still Chiinese food, kind of biring. It is not that I am not a fan of Chinese food, I am just not a fan for Chinese food in Nepal.
After lunch, we move on to the river bank right next to Pashupatinath Temple. It is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. The temple was first established in the 5th century. The priests who perform the services at this temple have been Brahmins from south India since of the time of Malla King Yaksha Malla. This tradition is supposed to have started by the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify the different states of Bharatam (Greater India) by encouraging cultural exchanges. Built on the outcrop of Bagmati River, considered holy river in Hindu. Pashupatinath temple is not accessible for non-Hindu but it is the cremations that attact many visitors, both Nepaliese and foreign visitors. Cremations are part of life and death. And the important fact is that Hindus are cremated on the banks of this holy river, and Kirants are buried in the hills by its side. According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati river before cremation. Te chief mourner (usually the first son) who lights the funeral pyre must take a holy river-water bath immediately after cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also take bath in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation. Bagmati River thus considered purifying the people spiritually and physically.
Images taken with Canon 5DII + EF 70-200/2.8L IS +1.4X Extender, also use to take the motions.