It appeared like an atypical day, however that February 27, Nepal noticed a crowd take to the streets of the nation. Round 700,000 folks left their houses for Pashupatinath, crucial temple in Kathmandu.
They have been devotees from numerous elements of the world, however primarily from India and Nepal itself. That sea of folks had one aim: to have a good time Maha Shivaratri, a competition that marks the Nepalese calendar yearly, in honor of one of many incarnations of Shiva. Though this vacation includes a large number of issues, emotions and perceptions, the primary information that the world has about it – and different comparable festivities – includes a single phrase: marijuana.
I used to be not in Nepal throughout this competition, the spotlight of the temple ceremonies. My go to to the nation was in Might. Nonetheless, I had the chance to witness the vibrancy of Pashupatinath, a novel place on the planet and regarded a UNESCO World Heritage Website.
And since I’m not Hindu, I used to be not in a position to go to a number of the most spectacular areas of the temple, together with the so-called predominant temple, which has an enormous statue of Shiva within the form of an ox. These areas are reserved for many who profess (and show) their religion.
See additionally: The unbelievable Kathmandu, capital of Nepal
However I witnessed loss of life. Like Varanasi, India, Kathmandu has its sacred river. That is Bagmati, which yearly serves because the setting for cremations and funeral ceremonies for 1000’s of Nepalese. It’s no coincidence that the river passes by means of the inside of the temple.
The advanced is large and formed like a dice. There are 4 predominant entrances. The present constructing was erected within the seventeenth century, changing a lot older temples, however which had already deteriorated. In response to custom, that very same place has been utilized in religion for a minimum of a thousand years. For others, nevertheless, the timeframe is even longer.
There are a number of tales to clarify the origin of Pashupatinath, however nearly all of them contain the identical level: in the future, whereas passing by means of the Kathmandu Valley, Shiva was impressed by the fantastic thing about the river and forests. He determined to reside there, however incarnated within the type of an animal. Some variations say ox-shaped, however this varies. Shiva would have solely left the place when the opposite gods found that he was there.
Cremation at Pashupatinath
Whereas kinfolk say goodbye to their family members, the useless are immersed within the sacred waters. One two. Thrice. Solely then is the physique cremated, a ceremony witnessed not solely by household and buddies, but in addition by everybody who passes by the temple. Together with vacationers. Pictures are prohibited, however it isn’t unusual for one or one other traveler to violate the second, regardless of how painful the state of affairs.
After the cremation, some kinfolk – together with the eldest son of the deceased, who’s normally the one who units fireplace to the funeral pyre – go into the waters of the river to take a sacred bathtub. This ends the ceremony on the Pashupatinath Temple, a spot the place loss of life is all over the place. In response to the assumption of many, dying there means reincarnating right into a human being. There are additionally those that consider that the temple prophets are able to predicting, with spectacular accuracy, the day of loss of life of any particular person.
Talking of prophets, there isn’t any scarcity of them. And never even holy males for the Hindu religion. Sadhus lead a lifetime of isolation and meditation. They depart behind all materials possessions and begin dwelling in caves, temples and different locations, not solely in Nepal, but in addition in India. And they don’t seem to be few: there are 5 million in India alone. Nepal additionally has its personal.
Wild McKay, Wikimedia Commons
A typical sādhus ritual includes using marijuana, which is illegitimate in Nepal besides to be used in spiritual rituals and festivals. It’s tough to not agree with this proper of the sadhus, in any case, custom ensures that they do nothing greater than imitate Shiva, who would even have smoked a bit of throughout his keep in Kathmandu. The plant, for them, is sacred.
Through the nice festivals, marijuana consumption crossed the barrier of sadhus. It was even frequent for a few of these holy males to cross marijuana to any devotee on the lookout for the drug. The apply was condemned by the federal government, which even arrested some sadhus, accused of drug trafficking, as proven on this BBC article.
Subsequently, the times when marijuana was open to everybody in Nepal are lengthy gone. Now, comply with Shiva, merely being a holy man.
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*Featured picture: Dhilung Kirat, Wikimedia Commons
