Out the door by 5:45 this morning for an optional and exciting small plane excursion on Buddha Air to see the eastern ridge of the Himalaya. It couldn't have gone better! Everyone had a window seat, the air hostesses passed out maps to help us identify the peaks, and the pilot invited us to take turns visiting the cockpit which offered a panoramic view. So much fun!
Everest is the highest peak, left of center.
We flew within 5 nautical miles of Everest before we neared Chinese air space and turned around. What a beautiful and exhilarating way to start the day.
This is a good place to die, the holiest in Nepal and similar to Varanasi on the Ganges River in India. For if you die nearby, you can be cremated at this holy site. It is situated on the shallow and narrow spring-fed Bagmati River, which joins the Ganges downstream. On our side of the river were round ghat platforms, while the far side had square ghats that are used for the cremation.
There were several cremations ongoing along the river. Hard to see, hear and smell. But it is a necessary ritual to close the cycle of life, freeing the soul from the body so it may return in its next incarnation.
Ninety percent of Hindus are cremated. Traditionally, they are cremated within 24 hours of death. 550 pounds of ironwood is needed per body. An electric crematorium was installed last August, and has proven so successful that it is now overbooked. Not only is it much less expensive; it is environmentally sustainable, saving trees and creating less pollution.
On our side of the river were three babas. They are holy men who wear colorful clothing, paint their faces and choose a specialty to focus on while they renounce the world. For example, they be a lifter baba, puller baba, or drinking baba. Usually males are babas, which gives you a clue as to what anatomical assets they are using for their special skills.
Children near the funeral pyres.
A short drive took us to Little Tibet to visit Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist stupa in the ancient world. Built in 464 AD, it is constructed atop a giant mandala and dominates the area with all-seeing eyes gazing in every direction.
The pattern of the mandala.
The surrounding community of little Tibet has a population of roughly 12,000 Tibetans.
The enormous circular stupa has several ascending layers. The base contains 147 inserts of prayer wheels beneath billowing maroon and saffron curtains. Pilgrims slowly circle the stupa clockwise, spinning the prayer wheels and praying for those in need. Om Mani Padme Hum.
Colorful prayer flags dance exuberantly up to the golden canopy, the five colors representing the five elements: blue is wind, white is air;, red is fire, green is water, yellow is earth.
Second level of the stupa
We had a late lunch at a resort hotel, where I was amused by a monk bellying up to the bar while his monks friends (one freshly emerged from the swimming pool) lounged nearby.
Fun fact: Kathmandu has multiple KFCs, including this one conveniently located near one of our stops.
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