The next day was dedicated to Bhaktapur, the third major town from the valley. I was thinking first to hire a bike for this but I realized that is too hot during the day and there are around 20km between Khatmandu and Bhaktapur. And apart of this the only way of going there is the highway, which is quite crowded during the day. Definitively the bus is the best and cheapest option. But before Bhaktapur I went to Bodhnath Stupa and Pashupatinath Temple. I took in the morning a small minivan from Ratna Park. In around 30 minutes I was in front of the main gate of Bodhnath. With me in the van was another foreigner. Being the only foreigners in the bus we started chatting. She arrived one week ago in Khatmandu alone. But of course that she hired a guide in Nepal that followed her everywhere she went. So comfortable to travel with a local guide, I was thinking. But I wouldn’t like. Where is the fun if he manages everything for u? The entrance should have been 50 rs (mentioned in the last LP) and I was decided to pay it, but the bastards doubled the entrance fee in one year. It was 100rs for foreigners. I was quite pissed off about this and I went around the stupa. I found a narrow street that led me to the back entrance where was nobody to ask me for a ticket.
Bodnath is one of the world’s largest stupas. Around the stupa is the village with the same name, the religious center of the Tibetan exiles. Here u can get a glimpse of Tibetan culture. The streets are full with Tibetan monks, shops and stalls with Tibetan products and Tibetan monasteries around the stupa. Most of the faces around you are either foreigners or Tibetans. Hanging from the top of the stupa to the buildings around u can see thousands of prayer flags if five elemental colours. Surrounding the huge stupa are hundreds of prayer wheels, and the Buddhist followers walk around the stupa in clockwise direction spinning the wheels. On the left and right side of the entrance there are two 3 meters big prayer wheels, each of it situated in a small room. They are filled with Buddhist prayers, which are sent farther to the skies with each turning of the wheel.
From Bodhnath the next point of interest for me was Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most important hindu temple. Is situated not so far away from Bodhnath, around 30 minutes walking. And it was a pleasant morning, the perfect time for a short walk until there. I couldn’t manage to arrive there following only the indications of the travel guide, so I’ve asked around. A young nepali man was very pleasant to come with me for a while showing me the direction and asking me a lot of questions. But his English was very poor and I didn’t manage to get an answer for most of my questions.
Pashupatinath temple is dedicated to Shiva, the destroyer and the creator of the Universe. He has more manifestations, as a destructive Bhairab or as a peaceful Mahadev and Pashupati, the lord of the beasts. In this for is said that he has a special concern about Nepal. That’s way before going in any important journey the king will always pay a visit to this temple for a god’s blessing. The untouchable community of Nepal (dalit) was allowed to enter here only from 2001. I went inside of the temple area crossing a bridge and coming from Bodhnath. The area is actually a park surrounded from two sides by Bagmati river. There are more temples inside the park and even a deer reservation.
The first temple as u come from Bodhnath is Guhyeshvari Temple dedicated to Shiva’s consort in her terrible manifestation form as Kali. Entry is not allowed to non-Hindus and from outside you cannot see too many things. The name of the temple is very strange. Translated it means “goddess’ vagina”.
Taking the steps up to the hill, the next temple is Gorakhnath temple. It’s actually a very nice complex of small temples, sculptures, shiva lingams, Nandi bull, shiva tridents and monkeys everywhere. A very peaceful place in the middle of the forest. And I was alone in this old complex. I had the feeling that the time broke out and I’m in another time.
The main temple, Pashupatinath it’s down on the Bagmati River bank. Non-hindu are not allowed to go inside. The Bagmati is considerated to be a holy river, like the Ganges. That’s way it’s a popular place to be cremated. The burning ghats are situated in front of the temple on the banks of the river. North of the bridge are situated the royal ghats. Here ten members of the royal family were cremated after the massacre from 2001. South of the bridge are the common burning ghats. In that day three cremation fires were burning there, carrying with them the body and the souls of the defuncts. As long as you stay on the other side of the river you can watch and even take photos if u want. I took a sit on the steps and watched silently for a while the cremation of the bodies five meters in front of me. A man with a long stick took care of the cremation moving around the wood and the body for a complete burning process. And just couples of meters far away of the fire two cows were sitting down very peacefully. Other foreigners were sitting with me on the steps watching quietly the funeral pyres. Dirty child beggars and ambulant sellers didn’t let us for a minute trying to get some money from our pockets.
Just across of the main bridge, on the west side of the river is the 6th century Bachhareshwari Temple. It has tantric and erotic carvings on it. It is said that during Sivaratri Festival human sacrifices used to perform here.
Pashupatinath is situated very close to the road to Bhaktapur. 5 minutes walking and I was on the main road. Five more minutes waiting and I grabbed a bus to Bhaktapur. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any seat. But 30 minutes standing is not so big deal.
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