The Pashupatinath temple complex, located on the banks of the Bagmati River, is on every visitor’s itinerary when stopping over in Kathmandu, either on the way to or from a trekking tour.
According to the legend, Shiva and his companion Parvati were so delighted with the place that they took the form of gazelles and enjoyed themselves in the hills by the river; thus the name Pahsipahti, which literally means “lord of the animals”. In the 5th century, the kings of Nepal took the holy place under their care. They expanded the temple complex with the Shiva temple as the main sanctuary (access strictly restricted to Hindus) and numerous secondary temples, hostels, kitchens, hospices, and cremation sites (ghats). Nothing is more worth living for a Hindu than to die and be cremated in this place, as it is said that anyone who is cremated here goes directly to Nirvana. The ghats upstream were formerly reserved for the higher castes; the lower castes had to use the ghats downstream of the bridge. Until a few years ago, pilgrims also bathed in the river, but it is now so polluted that even the hard-boiled no longer dare to do so.
For the Hindus from Nepal, a trip to Pashupatinath may replace a trip to Varanasi in India. It is therefore also a place that attracts Sadhus, the holy men who are walking the earth, smoking marijuana and hashish to gain religious illumination and liberation from the reincarnation cycle. By default, they have no wishes, friends, or enemies. The Shiva followers paint three horizontal lines on the forehead; the Vishnu devotees paint three vertical stripes in white-red-white for the deities Ram, Sita, and Laxman. Others rub their body with ashes that represent their death to worldly life.
However, in Pashupatinath, there are many fake (dollar) sadhus; some stay half-naked, some are wildly decorated photo models with their hands out for money. Still, they make up for an interesting photographic subject. Five years ago, I was able to negotiate 100 Rupees (about 1 $ U.S.) for a photo session. This year, the asking price had increased to 3 $ for “one click”. Considering Nepal’s per-capita income of about $1,000 per year, this is outrageous, even if we assume the high-income periods are limited to the tourist seasons of April-May and October-November.
The authorities have recently banned the dollar sadhus from the site because they have become too aggressive, thereby undermining the site’s value and traditions. I had hoped to complete my small series with a few more “models” in similar settings. It was not to be. SR
