5 Funeral Theatre I've visited numerous temples and old cities in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are different and very interesting. There's Kathmandu Durbar Square and Patan Durbar Square, old squares displaying classic architecture and ornate lattice woodwork throughout all the building structures (temples, palaces, residences). There's the medieval city of Bhaktapur, where one is truly taken back in time as you're surrounded by large temples and spacious courtyards. Even ordinary residences are decorated with incredible woodwork on exterior windows and door frames. There's Swayambhu, or the monkey temple, which boasts excellent panoramic views of the city and where several naughty monkeys roam freely and attack you if you're carrying fruit. And there's Boudha, an extraordinary Buddhist temple considered the most important outside of Tibet and vibrantly decorated with thousands of colourful prayer flags strewn across the structure. I split up my temple visits across the duration of my stay in Nepal, but after a while, I still got templed out. By the time I hit my final religious site, the Hindu Pashupatinath, I was intending to do a quick walk-through. It starts out pretty ho-hum, with myriads of old structures and monkeys, but I'm entering from the back side (which is free compared to the front!). A long stair ascent leads to an impressive view overlooking the entire temple area, but what really captures my attention are the pillars of smoke emerging from the riverside. I take a seat and a guide solicits his way over. Sadhus, the long-bearded, colourfully clothed Hindu holy men, roam about the area. I'm watching one body draped in a bright orange cloth. The body belongs to that of a rich woman. After some prayers, her body is brought down to the holy Bagmati River and placed on a stone slab where her feet can be washed. Let me take some time to describe the Bagmati River. It's filthy. Really filthy. The water level is especially low at this time, so the river is dry in most parts, and the remaining water, which is only knee high at its deepest point, doesn't even look like it's flowing. Yet the river is holy as it flows to India's Ganges River and as associations with the god Shiva. I believe all Hindus in Nepal try to be cremated here. And yes, as several cremations take place here each day, all the ashes, clothing, and other ceremonial items are dumped in the river and further polluting it. Seeing people wash their faces and drinking the stagnant water really shows how holy it is. By this time, the rich woman's body has a neighbour - a body belonging to a poor man. As he couldn't afford the 3000 rupees ($50) for his cremation, his body had been left around waiting for sufficient donations to pay for his funeral. My guide estimates the body is one or two weeks old, and yes, it's pale, bloated, and not a pretty sight. His body is pretty much left alone, only accompanied by a slightly crazy woman who thinks she's a goddess wading nearby. The preparations would still take a while, so I take a walk around the temple area. I'm barred from entering some Hindu only areas (how can they tell I'm not Hindu?), but I do stumble on a social assistance project for the elderly. It's an old folk's home in a grand medieval structure, so maybe a more suitable term is "old folk's temple". I'm invited by volunteers to freely visit the buildings, and I tour the dark, basic kitchen, humble eating areas, and sleep quarters. Many of the temple's inhabitants seem to suffer from some sort of illness or physical deformity. They're all pretty poor, but nonetheless, together with friends, they're happy. I also meet a Japanese volunteer working amongst these people. Her light skin and well-kept look really makes her presence like a ghost amongst her patients. It turns out Japan has provided active assistance here. Returning to the funeral pyres, the action is getting started. By now, plenty of people have gathered on the steps across the river and on the nearby bridge to watch. The stack of wood is ready. Immediate relatives circle the body three times, and the woman's clothes are discarded into the shallow river, but don't flow anywhere in the still water. A poor man waiting below in the river inspects the clothing and soon assumes them for himself. Finally, the wood is lit and soon the body is engulfed in smoke and flames, resembling all the neighbouring five or so funeral pyres. The fire will burn for about 2 hours. I suppose the best is over as the crowd quickly dissipates. Still, the poor man's body lay there alone, patiently waiting for his turn.