Pashupatinath Hindu Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal
Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu is one of the biggest Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva in the world. It is the holiest Hindu temple in all of Nepal and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with a few other legendary temples in Kathmandu.
Pashupatinath is celebrated for its human cremations that take place on the Ghats of the Bagmati River in eastern Kathmandu. The river is considered sacred because it eventually flows into the Ganges River in India, ultimately reaching the holy city of Varanasi.
The human body, which is resting on the platform underneath the bright yellow cloth, is burned and the ashes are eventually pushed into the river below.
We were not able to enter the actual temple itself, because non-Hindu’s are not allowed. Instead, tourists and foreigners must stay on the opposite side of the river, where this photo was captured.
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Have you witnessed a public human cremation? What did you think?
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The Traveling Canucks are Nicole and Cameron Wears, a Canadian married couple that live in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. A passion for travel and outdoor adventure has lead them to over 50 countries on 6 continents in the past 7 years. Consider following us via 
We were too lazy to make our way out there and now I regret it. We had spent so much time in India by then that all we wanted to do when we came down from EBC was relax and drink coffee. That will teach us:-)
Hey guys! Makes sense. We went in the opposite direction (Kathmandu to Mumbai), so this was our first Hindu temple experience in the sub-continent.
Wait, it’s a WHS but you can’t even visit it? That’s a first of all the ones I have heard of.
I’m here now in Kathmandu and wanted to see this place but just looking at it from the banks across the river kind of disappoints me already. I mean I have been to Varanasi already, so seeing a body burn isn’t a first for me.
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You can enter the site, just not that temple where the bodies are cremated. It’s quite a large temple complex and totally worth the visit.
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Ok, thanks for clearing that up!
I think I’ll check it out tomorrow then!
Never in my life I’ve seen the actual cremation of people who have died, I remember during my early age, my grandfather was cremated but I don’t know what it looks like.
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