KAT STAHL MISSION · NEPAL DIARIES · ISSUE 02
A Different Way
of Looking at Death
Sacred fires, spinning prayer wheels and the wonderfully cheeky residents of Monkey Temple.
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| The sacred grounds of Pashupatinath, beside the Bagmati River. |
Nepal has already surprised me with its kindness.
But during my first days in Kathmandu, I also discovered something that made me look at life – and death – a little differently.
My sightseeing took me to Pashupatinath, one of the most sacred Hindu temples in Nepal. Along the Bagmati River (which flows into the Ganges River), families gather to say goodbye to their loved ones. Every day, hundreds of cremations take place openly on stone platforms here beside the water, as part of everyday religious life. People here grow up with death being a normal part of life. Our guide said: “I’ve been here so many times since my childhood and know exactly what’s going to happen to me one day.”
For someone who grew up in a culture where death is usually kept behind closed doors, this is quite an experience.
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| Stone shrines and quiet paths at Pashupatinath. |
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| Cremation ceremonies on the banks of the Bagmati. |
What struck me most wasn’t the cremation itself, but the way people spoke about death.
Our guide explained that funerals here are not usually private affairs. People don’t get invited personally; they simply show up because they want to pay their respects to this particular individual. A large gathering is seen as a beautiful sign that someone has touched many lives.
He told us about his own father’s funeral. He had been astonished and deeply touched by how many people came to say goodbye.
I found that incredibly moving.
Perhaps we spend so much time trying to keep death out of sight that we sometimes forget it should rather be an opportunity to celebrate a life.
From sacred fires to spinning prayer wheels and monkeys
At Boudhanath, one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas, the atmosphere was completely different.
Prayer flags fluttered overhead, prayer wheels turned beneath people’s hands, and visitors walked clockwise around the enormous white dome.
There was something wonderfully calming about the rhythm of it all.
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| An exuberant detail in the temple architecture. |
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| Prayer flags and a happy moment at Boudhanath. |
And then came the Monkey Temple, officially known as Swayambhunath.
After climbing the steps, I was rewarded with sweeping views across Kathmandu – and plenty of monkeys who clearly considered themselves the rightful owners of the place.
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| The eyes of the stupa watching over the courtyard. |
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| A tender moment among the monkeys. |
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| The residents of Monkey Temple, looking very much at home. |
Between sacred rituals, Buddhist prayers and cheeky monkeys, each temple takes you up into its very own atmosphere. Just like each country and each culture does.
And somewhere along the way, I once again come to the conclusion that travelling isn’t just about discovering new places. It’s so much more about discovering new ways of seeing the world. Of diving into a new culture and hence learning about your own. Because suddenly, in this new culture, you are the "odd one out", doing things the way "everyone does it" in your own culture. And in the end, you might reinvent your own views, things become less black and white, less right or wrong -- because they might just be different.
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| Kathmandu stretching out towards the hills. |
