Ekdam Thik Nepali Weekend

This is one of those posts where I'll let the pictures (and links) do much of the speaking for me.
Last weekend I visited two of Kathmandu's spiritual treasures. First, on Friday evening I went to Pashupatinath, one of the most holy sites in Hinduism. Honoring Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of creation and destruction, Hindu pilgrims come from around the world to worship at the Pashupati Temple and surrounding complex. It sits on banks of the holy Bagmati and is the site of many cremations on the complex's riverside "ghats."




The night I went was unique as it preceded by only two days Shivaratri, an extremely important Hindu festival honoring Lord Shiva. So there was a certain energy in the air...as well as a lot of marijuana smoke thanks to the sadhus. These colorful (literally and figuratively) Hindu ascetics flock to Pashupatinath from far and wide to honor Shiva, seek enlightenment, and smoke weed. The environment was truly exotic as I wandered through the ancient temple complex while bodies smoldered on the ghats and monkeys wandered through the crowd. One of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley, this is definitely a spot to visit again.

Namobuddha to Dulikhel hike
The next day I went on a day hike with most of the Consular section to Namobuddha. Namobuddha is a Tibetan Buddhist stupa and monastery. It's actually a grand complex of multiple buildings, incredible architecture, and panoramic views.

Sitting on a hilltop with amazing vistas of the Himalayas, the site supposedly marks the location where a past Buddha came upon a starving tigress. Unable to feed her cubs, the Buddha allowed her to consume him, an act of compassion that transported him to the higher realms of existence. After the hike to the top, I was also quite peckish. So I ate a Cliff Bar. I remain in the same realm of existence, but I got some enlightening pictures.

Due to the vagaries of Nepal's weather, clear views of the Himalayas are never guaranteed. However, on this day we were extremely fortunate.

Not bad photos for a BlackBerry cell phone.