पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर

A few weeks ago, on my way back to Oman from Bhutan, I had the opportunity to stop in Nepal and explore Pashupatinath Temple — a sprawling Hindu temple complex dedicated to the god Shiva. Pashupatinath Temple is one of the seven monument groups in UNESCO’s designation of Kathmandu Valley as a cultural heritage site. Fortunately, the main temple buildings of Pashupatinath survived the earthquake intact — though many other architectural treasures in Kathmandu were destroyed.

As we entered the complex, my guide pointed out a cremation ceremony taking place on one of the funeral pyres on the banks of the Bagmati River. “After the earthquake,” he said, “there were so many dead bodies that families had to wait in line for days to cremate their dead.”

While only Hindus are allowed into the main temple, all of the other temple buildings are open to non-Hindus. Strolling through the temple’s sacred sculptures and shrines, we passed by several male and female sadhus — ascetic yogis who have renounced the world to make liberation from death and rebirth their sole goal. Upon exiting, my eyes were drawn to the brightly colored powders being sold in stores and stalls on the side of the temple…