One of the most important places for Hindu people is the Pashupati temple in Kathmandu. It’s a pilgrim place – like Mecca for muslim people – and all Hindus should go there at least once in their lives. The temple is built near the river Bagmati, where cremation ceremonies take place 24 hours a day. Hindus believe in reincarnation and therefore their bodies must be cremated when they die. There are a few exceptions, for example babies and pregnant women. That’s because babies are too young too know what’s good or bad (karma).
Sadhu (or Baba) people are another exception: they are considered holy and can’t be cremated. It’s their own choice to become a Sadhu and by becoming one you reach Samsara, which means you leave the circle of life and death and won’t reincarnate. We saw a few Sadhu’s today. They smoke marihuana and travel around, and they’re not allowed to have sex.
When a Hindu dies the body needs to be cremated within 24 hours. The family is supposed to wear white clothes and takes care of the ceremony. First the body is carried into the water to wash the feet and face; this purifies the body. Then it’s carried to a sort of platform. Formerly they used platforms with different heights for the different castes, but not anymore. Some rituals are performed and the family takes off the clothes of the deceased: you are born naked and so you have to die naked. The platforms on which the bodies are burnt are out in the open and placed near the river because of the elements of life: fire, water, air and earth – and they’re necessary for reincarnation. We watched a few ceremonies today. It’s quite amazing – watch the pictures and see for yourself.
Sadhu (or Baba) people are another exception: they are considered holy and can’t be cremated. It’s their own choice to become a Sadhu and by becoming one you reach Samsara, which means you leave the circle of life and death and won’t reincarnate. We saw a few Sadhu’s today. They smoke marihuana and travel around, and they’re not allowed to have sex.
When a Hindu dies the body needs to be cremated within 24 hours. The family is supposed to wear white clothes and takes care of the ceremony. First the body is carried into the water to wash the feet and face; this purifies the body. Then it’s carried to a sort of platform. Formerly they used platforms with different heights for the different castes, but not anymore. Some rituals are performed and the family takes off the clothes of the deceased: you are born naked and so you have to die naked. The platforms on which the bodies are burnt are out in the open and placed near the river because of the elements of life: fire, water, air and earth – and they’re necessary for reincarnation. We watched a few ceremonies today. It’s quite amazing – watch the pictures and see for yourself.
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Hallo Sjan
ReplyDeleteJa, het is echt bijzonder hoor.
Hoe anders gaat het er dan bij ons.... gelukkig maar.
Je hebt mooie foto's gemaakt en een mooi stukje geschreven.
Liefs van mama
Heej meissie!
ReplyDeleteHele mooie foto, die laatste met die man! En bij die ceremonie lijkt het wel of ze kindeke Jezus in zn kribje aan het leggen zijn, haha. Indrukwekkend moet het zijn om tijdens jullie reis in elk land weer andere gebuiken te zien. Wij hebben net een weekendje met de camper achter de rug maar dan in ons eigen kikkerlandje. Blijf genieten en doe Loes de groetjes, we skypen snel! xxmei
Ha meisje,
ReplyDeleteEindelijk nog eens een berichtje van mij. Ik heb vorige week twee keer een heel stuk geschreven maar ik werd er telkens uit gegooid; toen had ik er even genoeg van. Ik weet niet of het aan mij ligt of aan de computer. Maakt niet uit, ik probeer het nog maar eens.
Ik zie dat je berichtjes op dit moment in hoog tempo elkaar opvolgen. Tijd zat om te schrijven dus. Ik schat zo in dat het volgende uit Bangkok komt, want daar vliegen jullie vandaag (15-06) toch naar toe dacht ik. Doe Anne de groeten als je haar daar ziet want dat was toch de bedoeling nietwaar?
Onze vakantie zit er weer op, mama is al werken en ik moet om 15.00 uur beginnen.
We hebben lekker gefietst en verheugen ons al op september voor het volgende rondje. Maar ja, daar tussenin moet er gewoon weer geld verdiend worden.
Veel plezier nog, hou je haaks, en doe Loes de groeten
houdoe
pa