Pashupatinath tour: Cremation ceremony
About this recording
- Creator
- Kristin Post
- Date created
- October 12, 2000
- Duration
- 8:01
- Location
- Pashupatinath, Nepal
- File
- MP3
- License
- This recording copyright ©2000. Terms of use
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Learn more
- Search LEARN NC for Buddhism, caste, ceremonies, cremation, death, elements, families, fire, flowers, Hinduism, mourning, Nepal, observance, Pashupatinath, rituals, symbolism, and worship.
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In this recording, you can hear Ajit, who works as a tour guide in Pashupatinath, describing a Hindu cremation, which we can see taking place on a ghat near the Bagmati River. As you learn from the recording, cremation is an important ritual that includes many symbolic gestures, and is observed by both Hindus and Buddhists here in this city.
In this recording, you can also learn about the Hindu caste system, and how the different genders are expected to honor their dead mothers and fathers.
From my journal:
See Pashpati, the giant bull (golden.) Can’t go in. Two boys say “hello,” I ask where the Eye Center is. I ask about some white temples I could see from the hilltop. End up being guided by Ajit, 19 year old who’s been giving tours for 9 years. Went to India by himself when he was 11. There is a wonderful connection between us- and we have a lovely afternoon- sitting on terrace looking at crowds and watching preparation of the dead body.
Transcript
In America, when someone dies, people believe ashes to ashes, earth to earth. But in Nepal we believe the person comes naked to the world, so they must go backwards naked. So before the cremation the body is made completely naked, and it is colored by two types of colors, white and orange.
White is the color of mourning. Orange is the color of peace. Red is a holy color. This helps people reach heaven, and come back as a better reincarnation.
If the father dies, the eldest son starts the fire and puts it in the mouth. If the mother dies, the youngest son puts the first fire in the mouth. The mouth is the most important part of the body — where the person speaks truth, lies, good bad. They put holy water and then butter and camphor in the mouth, and light it with a wick, or fire from a rope.
Caste system in the Nepal: four main castes: Brahmin, highest class, priests. Kshatriyas — warriors, soldiers. Viashyas — business class and Shudras — untouchables.
Since 1990 — Nepal is a democracy — caste is over in terms of law and justice, but still in the heart of the people.
Cremation starts within few hours in Hinduism. In Buddhism, the body spends 48 hours in a monastery or home where rituals are observed, and then three hours of cremation.
In Hinduism, the ritual takes place after cremation over the next 13 days. There are special dietary restrictions for the sons, who must prepare their own food. They have to wear white clothes, no alcohol or meat for one year. If the mother dies, no alcohol, meat, or milk. The daughter is not considered part of the family (especially if she is married.)
Body is made up of five elements. Water, earth, air, sky, fire.
Soi patri is a special flower, they are fresh “like the heart of the people”, to be offered in the temple. The priest will put a flower on a worshipper. The name means “hundred petals.”
