A New Photo Gallery Is Available - "Saddhus of Pashupatinath"

A new photography gallery, "Saddhus of Pashupatinath", on my personal website is now available for viewing.

This gallery contains some selected photos of Saddhus, Hindu Holy Men, that I encountered on my recently concluded visit to Nepal.

Some of the Saddhus, I had visited and photographed on my previous two visits to Nepal in the past three years.  Many of the Saddhus, being wandering holy men, had left, some of them returning to India.

As always the interaction with the Saddhus was interesting and often entertaining.

The following is the link to the new gallery:

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/The-Saddhus-of-Pashupatinath

First Gallery of 2018 August Trip Is Available

The first gallery of photographs, "Faces of Nepal", is now available for viewing on my photography website.

https://www.hale-worldphotography.com/2018-Faces-of-Nepal

This gallery contains 39 selected portraits of some of the amazing people that we encountered during our 15 day tour to Nepal, specifically Upper Mustang for the Yartung Festival.

Nepal is an extraordinary place with some amazing people.  It is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been to with some of the most kind people that I have met during all my travels.

Kathmandu Funerals

A Corpse, Prepared for Cremation, Is Carried Along the Banks of the Bagmati River

Pashupatinath located on the outskirts of Kathmandu along the banks of the sacred Bagmati River and close to the international airport is Nepal's most important Hindu temple. It is also one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Hindu world.  The temple is dedicated to Shiva, specifically his incarnation as the Lord of the Beasts, Pashupati.  Pashupati is considered to be the national deity of Nepal.  Ninety-five percent of the people who die in Kathmandu are cremated at Pashupatinath.

Being a Non-Hindu, I was not allowed to enter the main temple.  However, I had visited Pashupatinath specifically to observe and document the open air cremations conducted along the banks of the Bagmati River and the Sadhhus.  Non-Hindus, after paying an entrance fee, are allowed to access the areas of the cremations, Shiva shrines, and hillside.

Living in Thailand and being exposed to the Buddhist rituals and attitudes towards death, I have become interested in the ways and traditions in which people deal with the final days of loved ones.

Since I started living in Thailand ten years ago, I have attended more funerals than in all my previous 58 years.  Visiting Pashupatinath was my first opportunity to witness and experience the Hindu funeral ritual.

Son and Priest Perform Ritual for Dead Parent

After a short walk from the entrance to the site, I came upon the east ghats along side of the Bagmati River - a short stone throw from the ghats on the other side of the river where cremations were being performed.  Ghats are the stairs that lead down to the river.  Often the term, ghat, is used to describe the stone platforms built on and among the stairs upon which the funeral pyres are constructed.

Typically the body being cremated is a person who died at home only a few hours earlier.  When a Hindu dies it is a common practice to cremate the body either before the sunset or sunrise following the death.  Cremation is held as soon as possible after all family members have the opportunity to view the body.  Customarily the body is brought to holy grounds for cremation.  Hindus believe that the soul quickly leaves the body upon death.  To help facilitate the soul on its journey, the cremation is performed as promptly as possible to ensure there is no temptation for the soul to linger on this side of the world. 

One of the first raised stone platforms that I encountered on the east side of the river was the site of a special ritual.  Cremation are held as soon as possible after all family members have the opportunity to view the body. In past times this was easy to comply with since families remained largely intact - tied to the land or village.  However today families, of all castes, are often separated by miles, kilometers, mountains, national borders, rivers, lakes, and even oceans.  There are thousands Nepalese Hindus living and working in countries such as Bhutan, the Middle East, and further afar.  Often they are not able to promptly return upon the death of a family member.  In such circumstances, the cremation is conducted, and the family member returns when they can to perform a special offering to honor the departed person.

I stopped and witnessed such a special offering ritual.  According to my guide, the man's father or mother had died and had been cremated.  The son had been unable to attend the cremation, he had returned now and with the assistance of a Hindu priest was making a special offering.

The man had shaved all of his hair from his head except for a small tuft at the upper backside of his skull.  He had also modestly removed his shoes, socks, pants, undergarments, and shirt and placed a loose white garment around his waist.  White is the color of mourning for Hindus rather than black.

The ritual was quite involved with many bowls, and containers.  Marigolds, water, rice, incense, plant leaves, and paper money were involved.  The marigold petals, rice, and water were at various points during the ritual sprinkled onto the head of the mourning man and flicked into the air.

It was a very moving and interesting ritual - a ritual that I did not understand, but a ritual that I will learn more about when I return to Nepal someday, someday soon.

Corpse is carried by males to the cremation site.  Rice is sprinkled on the pyre.

The caste system no longer exists in Nepal.  It was made illegal in 1962.  That is the way things are supposed to be and then there is the reality of the way things actually are.  Although the caste system was legislated away in 1962, there are clear and strongly defined economic stratification as well as class distinctions in Nepal society today.  These distinctions and stratification can be witnessed even in the cremation of bodies at Pashupatinath.

The Bagmati River is crossed by two pedestrian bridges.  South of the bridges, is where the common people are cremated.  North of the bridges, where the royals were cremated, is where the rich are cremated.

The body on a bamboo litter is carried around the pyre three times

Bodies to be cremated are carried by men on stretchers or handcrafted bamboo litters from the north to the south where the appropriate pyre platforms are located.  The bodies have been washed and prepared for cremation elsewhere.  They are wrapped in white except for the head.  An easily removable cloth covers the face of the deceased.  Garlands of marigolds cover the body.  Marigolds, saffron yellow, are considered pure whereas the corpse is considered to be impure.  The cremation, a ritual of fire, is a purification rite.  After the corpse is carried three times clockwise around the funeral pyre, the garlands are removed and used to decorate the funeral pyre.  The body is placed on the funeral pyre with the head pointed north - north, the direction of the dead.

Female relative pays respect

The cremation ritual is lead by by the eldest son.  If the eldest son is not available, the next oldest son will perform the duties.  If the deceased person did not have any sons, the responsibility will pass over to the eldest male relative on the patriarchal side of the family.  Daughters or any other females do not perform the ritual.

Eldest male relative, most likely son, supervises the ritual

As part of the cremation ritual, the eldest male places a rice ball, pinda, is placed in the mouth of the deceased to provide nourishment to the spirit for the journey from this this world.

Offerings and fire are carried around the funeral pyre

As part of the ritual, family members circle the body and place offerings of sandalwood kindling on the body.  Holy water from the Bagmati River, just beneath the cremation platform, is sprinkled by hand over the deceased person's body.

Holy Water from the Bagmati River is sprinkled upon the body

Cremation worker builds a funeral pyre

Eldest male relative completes building the funeral pyre

The eldest male, typically the son, completes the construction of the pyre on top of the body and lights the funeral pyre at the mouth of the deceased person.  It is believed that the spirit leaves the body through the mouth.  Starting the cremation fire at the mouth ensures that the spirit is purified as it exits.  Once the fire has commenced straw dampened with water from the river is placed upon the pyre to create a cloaking smoke of the cremation.

Smoke begins to rise from a funeral pyre 

As the funeral fire starts dampened straw is added to the pyre

Pashupatinath cremation scene

Eldest male washes and dismantles the bamboo litter

Smoke from wet straw rises above funeral pyre

Cremation worker tends the pyre

Relatives sit vigil as body is cremated

Ghat located north of the two pedestrian bridges is prepared for a wealthy person DSC 3019

West ghats are cleansed with water from the sacred Bagmati River DSC 3030

Each cremation is but a part of the mosaic of life along the Bagmati River.  Next to ongoing cremation rituals, the funeral workers, members of the lowest caste, build the pyres out of logs in preparation the next cremation that will happen with certainty. For cremations, where the mourners the mourners have left other than for some male relatives maintain a vigil, other funeral workers tend to the fires with long poles to ensure that all the remains are consumed by the purifying fire.  The two pedestrian bridges are jammed and lined with people - Nepalese as well as foreigners witnessing it all and photographing it all.  Behind the pyres, in the areas accessible only to Hindus, people can be scene entering shrines and temples as part of practicing their faith. The hillside on the east side of the river is covered with tourists congregating about the Sadhhus who are to found amongst the shrines to Shiva.  Further up the hillside, families are enjoying the view of it all from an overlook while enjoying snacks and beverages from the refreshment stand.  Life continues with the players all playing their roll of the moment and often oblivious to the others.

 I will return again to Kathmandu to witness and document the Hindu funerals but more importantly, to better understand the details and nuances of the ritual.  My wife will accompany me this time and I look forward to sharing with her the source of many of the rituals that she practices in her Theravada Buddhist faith.  Although she is Buddhist, her faith includes many Animist as well as Hindu precepts and practices.

All though we are often oblivious to each other and the ways along with beliefs of others, it is through travel that we will discover and commence to understand that we are actually all connected.

Sadhhus

Sadhhus are Hindu holy men.  Hindu holy women, far fewer than the number of Sadhhus, are known as Sadvin.

Sadhhus are found all over India and Nepal.  Saddhus can be seen wandering the roads, some live in monasteries, taking temporary residence at shrines and many can be seen a religious festivals. They are associated with many Hindu orders and schools of beliefs.  They are wandering ascetics, people who live austerely - forsaking family, friends, and comforts of this life to focus on their religion and religious development. They are highly respected by Hindus as being representatives of the gods.

Today, people from any caste can become a Sadhhu.  Becoming a Sadhhu, for a Hindu, is a stage, the fourth and final stage of this life that every man is expected to go through.

They rely upon the generosity of others for their survival.  Of their few possessions, one of the most important is their begging bowl. Other typical possessions are a wooden staff, a cloth bag.

Sadhhu lives are devoted to spiritual matters - self purification, meditation, worshiping, making pilgrimages, studying religious texts as well as adhering to dress codes, diets, and requirements of their sect.  Sadhhus also preach and teach religion to others.

Life as a Sadhhu can involve some unique and fascinating rituals as well as displays.  Many Sadhhus are known for smoking marijuana and hashish.  Some Sadhhus cover their almost naked bodies with the ashes of cremated people. There are Sadhhus who perform physical feats such as keeping their left arm raised ... for years, remaining silent for years, pierce their tongues, or perform other extreme displays of yoga practice.

I have written several times on this blog site about life - specifically "There is the way that things are supposed to be and then there is the way that things are".  So it is with Sadhhus, or at least some Sadhhus that I encountered.

I am intrigued with unique religious practices, beliefs, and people's devotion.  Living in Southeast Asia, I have many opportunities to satiate my thirst and hunger to experience some of those rituals and practices.

One of my goals for my tour of Upper Mustang, the former Kingdom of Lo, was to photograph some Sadhhus.  My research prior to departure, revealed that Sadhhus can be found at the Hindu temple of Pashupatinath outside of Kathmandu, Nepal.  Actually, my research found many photographs of the same Sadhhus there.

Upon my return to Kathmandu, from Upper Mustang, I went to Pashupatinath in the morning to observe and photograph the cremations and the Sadhhus.

The Saddhus were easily found.  The first Sadhhu that I encountered was seated on some steps alongside the broad walkway from the temple entrance to the ghats lining the sacred Bagmati River.

He was extremely photogenic and it was obvious that he knew how to "work it" for the camera. My research also had informed me that it was customary, if not expected, to make an offering to the Sadhhus for photographing them.

After spending considerable time photographing the funeral rituals along the river banks, my guide and I commenced climbing the concrete steps to the higher levels of the temple.  Part way up the incline we encountered a crush of tourists - tourists busily photographing a group of Sadhhus seated in or in front of the stone shrines dotting the hillside.

These Sadhhus were familiar faces from my previous research. As I jockeyed about to take more candid photographs of the Saddhus, rather than obviously staged poses, and photographs not cluttered up with other tourists in them, I made eye contact with one of the Sadhhus.  He had been watching me and seemed concerned that I had not made an "offering".  I pantomimed to him that I would make the "offering" after first taking my photographs.  He seemed to accept that promise and went about with his "work" for the other tourists.  I like and prefer to make my offerings and payments after taking the photographs knowing full well what I got for my money.  I thought this was rather odd - wandering ascetics who have rejected all the ways, objects, and comforts of this world being concerned about not getting offerings for having his photograph taken.

 "There is the way that things are supposed to be and then there is the way that things are".

I would have liked to have engaged in some conversation with these Sadhhus - to get to know some more about them, their life, their beliefs and their philosophy but the crush of tourists (photography frenzy?) was not conducive to such an experience.  I also had developed that these "holy men" might not have any "secrets of life" to share with me or that I would value.  After all, I am an American and fully aware as well as experienced of capitalism and materialism.

Further up the hill, we encountered another group of Sadhhus located in front of another shrine.  This locale was much more peaceful - shade from trees and no other tourists.  I have learned from my travels that if you want better photographs and unique experiences, you have to make the extra effort and go a little further away from, if not far away, from the maddening crowd.

The Sadhhus were very photogenic, just as their brethren down the hill, and accustomed to being photographed.  For me the relaxed atmosphere was much more enjoyable than down the hill.  These Sadhhus also expected to receive offerings.

Were these real Sadhhus, true holy men?  Were these real Sadhhus or were they more like cosplayers or as real as a tiger is a tiger that lives in a zoo cage?  I don't know.  It is not for me to say.

Paraphrasing Paul Simon's lyrics in "The Boxer" ... "a man believes what he wants to believe and disregards the rest"

During my journey in Upper Mustang, far from anywhere where there was not even a defined road - just miles and miles of dust and rocks in the Kali Gandaki River gorge, we encountered a Sadhhu.  I suspect that he was on a pilgrimage to the Hindu holy site of Muktinath.  I remember and cherish the brief exchange with him as we rumbled by in our four wheel drive vehicle.  Our driver and guide excitedly and emotionally shouting to him and calling him "Baba" - honorific term for "father".  It was a true moment of respect and joy.