River Bagmati

After visiting the Boudhanath Stupa we drove to River Bagmati which is considered a holy river by both Hindus and Buddhists. A number of Hindu temples are located including one of the biggest Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world - Pashupatinath temple (another UNESCO World Heritage Site). One notable fact about this river is that Hindus are cremated on the banks of this holy river. We walked by a bloody coffin on our way to the river and a few interesting looking characters. There were a few cremations going on at the time of our visit and our Nepali travel guide was full of information about the customs and beliefs. According to the Nepalese Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati river before cremation. The chief mourner (who lights the funeral pyre) must take a holy river-water bath immediately after cremation. Relatives who join the funeral procession also take bath in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation. The Bagmati River is believed to purify the people spiritually.