Welsh Davids Travel Blog: July – Kathmandu, Pashupatinath and Gujeswari Temples (Nepal)

Pashupatinath and Gujeswari Temples are situated both sides of the Bagmati River and are the largest temple group in the Kathmandu Valley with the shrine of Pashupatinath being one of the holiest Hindu shrines in all of Nepal. The construction of the temples began in the 15th century and have been added to since. Some of the stone sculptures and small shrines date from the 5th century and are Buddhist in origin.

The site has been declared a ‘World Heritage Site’ and when I commented that the entrance fee had nearly doubled in the two years since I was last here one of the officials said that they did not set the entry fee, it was set by others, and he was more than annoyed that none of the money taken was used to repair any of the buildings and that a number were in a bad state. The main building, the old Royal Palace, could only be entered by Hindus (including the temple below the Gujeswari site) and this included all the other older and more interesting shrines.

On the bank on the upper part of the river are the ghats used only by the royal family and prime ministers separated by a bridge from the downstream side where there are the ghats for other (poorer) people. The funeral ceremonies are open to the public and the taking of photographs is allowed. I have been there before but each time I find out something new about the ceremonies. I noticed that the bodies were being washed on the ‘royal’ ghat prior to the cremation and was told that was allowed. The feet of the body are put into the river so that the soul may then flow from the body into the holy river. When questioning how it was that female members of the family were present when I had not seen any in previous visits and in India they were not allowed, I was told that when the ceremony was for a person of the Newari tribe or caste women went to the cremation and took an active part in the ceremony. Women of the Braham tribe were not allowed at the ceremony. White is the colour of mourning and the orange body cloth signified peace.