Sadhu is a Sanskrit word meaning good man or holy man. They dedicate their life to their spiritual practice by meditation and contemplation. They live a rugged life with a detachment from common luxuries which deters many from following such a path.
Tag Archives: Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath
Pashupatinath is considered the holiest site for all Hindus all over the world. The name Pashupati means ‘Lord of Animals’ and is the patron deity of Nepal. Locals and devotees from different countries come to visit this temple all year round. The photo below is the main gate of the temple.
I couldn’t go inside the temple because I am not Hindu. But there is a certain point outside the main gate that you can take a peek of what the temple looks like inside.
Another way to view the temple is to go on the opposite side of the river bank. There is a viewing deck where you can see the pagoda style temple of Pashupatinath with devotees coming in to sing hymns and say prayers. You also get to see monkeys roaming around as shown on the photo below.
Coming down from the viewing deck, you will also see sadhus hanging around the area. I couldn’t resist, so I had my picture taken with them. 😀
Along the banks of the holy Bagmati River, one can find the Crematoria. It is every Hindu’s wish to be cremated here, the holiest river and temple for all Hindus. I posted a picture of the Crematoria on one of the weekly photo challenge.
Observing the cremation process was something that I always wanted to witness. There were different points where they do the burning. It was winter time when I visited and the Bagmati River’s water level is very low and as my tour guide said, “It’s more like a stream than a river.”
Before leaving the place, I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the sun almost setting.
Til the next exploration! 😀
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I booked my tour with Alpine Club of Himalaya. Thanks to Sujan for all the help and for allowing me to personalise my tour.