Pashupatinath Temple and Cremations

Pashupatinath is Nepals most sacred Hindu Temple . Pashupati is another name for the Hindu Lord Shiva . The Temple is built on the river Bagmati and devotees bathe there daily - although due to the increasing population and the rivers usage , it looks to me to be little more than a dirty stream. Only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple so Ive only a photo of it from the outside - its built in a typical Nepal Pagoda style with a golden roof.

Pashupatinath is the site for Hindu cremations. As far as I could tell the body is lain out on a board close to the river and covered in a white sheet. The feet and head are then washed with water from the river . The body is then carried slightly to the side where it is wrapped in various orange cloths and covered with flowers, I think this is done with the pallbearers and the male part of the family . The female part of the family has been sitting on the left side and at this point it seemed they were invited to come pay their last respects. It was kind of awful to watch because they were wailing and one woman who I can only guess was the mother or wife was screaming so loudly and hysterically that she eventually collapsed . Would have been too weird to take photos at this point ....it was even weird just to be an onlooker but you can see from the photo that there are actually many people (not just tourists) who come to watch. I think the body is then carried across to the other side where its lain on a previously arranged pyre of wood and set alight. A few hours later the ashes are then collected and carried out to the middle of the river ( I think that was what was being done in one photo where you can see some men and a cart in the river?) where they are scattered and will flow down stream to eventually meet up with the holy Ganges

The place is overrun with Monkeys . I was told not to look them in the eye ...no fear of that , they are quite ugly wee things . One guy next to me was eating a bag of crisps and he was "attacked" by two monkeys who ran up him, grabbed the bag and ran off fighting over it . They can apparently carry rabies so I steered well clear !

Cemetery ?
Around the temple are many of these little crypts ...Ive no idea what they are and Wikipedia who normally tells me all facts couldn't come up with anything . In front of each is a water buffalo which Im supposing is some form of protector ...

The Sadhus and the festival of Shivaratri:

A Sadhu is a holy man ( or woman) in the Hindu religion. He is supposed to dedicate his life to meditation and contemplation . They live solitary lives away from all material things in caves and some as per this photo live half naked around this temple. The word Sadhu is apparently the name for someone who has renounced a normal life and lives alone to achieve spiritual greatness.
The Sadhus smoke marijuana as part of their religion as the Lord Shiva apparently had an adoration for the leaves ..

The festival of Shivaratri took place on the 27th of Feb . Its a huge festival and people from all over Nepal and India converge on Pashupati temple for a day of celebration. I read in the paper there should have been 750,000 people there . Its a mental day and we were warned not to try to go near it as there would be tons of traffic but more because the Sadhus and some other religious followers get completely off their face stoned and wander round naked ...