Monday, October 23, 2006
Buddhists and Hindus
Because we had decided to move on to Pokharra tomorrow, we had to see the whole of Kathmandu today... and it seemed to go pretty well!
Below Durbar square in Kathmandu where people were buying flowers for the fevstival, tomorrow is brothers and sisters day, when the sisters give their brothers purple flowers and annoint them with colourful powders, and in exchange the brothers give them new clothes...
We also saw a walking pet shop:
Then off to the main Hindu temple in Nepal (Pashupatinath) where people are cremated on the river banks and their ashes are brushed into the sacred Bagmati river (which is a tributatry to the sacred Ganges) nearby were several old peoples homes where people go if they think they might die, so that they will not bring bad luck to their families by dying at home but instead will go straight to heaven, or be reincarnated.
Then 2kn down the road is the Buddhist temple of Bodhnath which is the most sacred place for Tivetan Buddhists who feel that their lives are not complete, and that they may not go heaven unless they visit this place once in their lives (below)
There are a large number of Tibetans here, and many monks walk around the Stupa and spin the prayer wheels.
Off to Pokhara tomorrow, from which we shall hopefully see some big mountains!
Barny
Below Durbar square in Kathmandu where people were buying flowers for the fevstival, tomorrow is brothers and sisters day, when the sisters give their brothers purple flowers and annoint them with colourful powders, and in exchange the brothers give them new clothes...
We also saw a walking pet shop:
Then off to the main Hindu temple in Nepal (Pashupatinath) where people are cremated on the river banks and their ashes are brushed into the sacred Bagmati river (which is a tributatry to the sacred Ganges) nearby were several old peoples homes where people go if they think they might die, so that they will not bring bad luck to their families by dying at home but instead will go straight to heaven, or be reincarnated.
Then 2kn down the road is the Buddhist temple of Bodhnath which is the most sacred place for Tivetan Buddhists who feel that their lives are not complete, and that they may not go heaven unless they visit this place once in their lives (below)
There are a large number of Tibetans here, and many monks walk around the Stupa and spin the prayer wheels.
Off to Pokhara tomorrow, from which we shall hopefully see some big mountains!
Barny
# posted by Barny @ 3:12 PM 
