Nepal 97 Travelog : the Pashupatinath hindu temple, near Kathmandu (11/24)

<BODY BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT = "#ABCBBE"> One day Lord Shiva got tired of his glittering palace on the Kailas mountain : so he searched perfect location where he could holiday.<BR> Without telling anyone (even Parbati, his beautiful wife) , he ran away from his palace and, through his cosmic powers, arrived in the Kathmandu Valley.<BR> He gained great fame here as Pashupati, the Lord of the Animals, before other gods discovered his hiding place and came to fetch him.<P> So, since more than 15 centuries, Pashupatinath is the most holiest pilgrimage destination for Hindus from India and Nepal.Sometimes named "Benares of Nepal", the Pashupatinath complex is very large, with guest houses, temples, shrines and other landmarks. <BR> The present main temple was built by King Bhupatindra Malla in 1697. He is characterized by a gold-plated roof, silver doors, and woodcarvings on the pagoda.<P> Along the river Bagmati are a series of ghats, where cremation ceremonies take place : First, the corpse, wrapped in yellow cloth, takes their last bath in the purifying and sacred water of the river. In order to prevent the soul of escaping from the feet and reincarnating into a lower form of life, the feet are plunged into the sacred river.<BR> Then the body, unwrapped, is placed on the funeral pyre and cremated. Finally, the remaining ashes are swept into the river. <BR> <BR> </BODY>