Second Day in Kathmandu: Bhoudanath and Pashupatinath

On this day, I decided to visit the famous Bhoudanath Stupa. Being more adept at making my way around the city at this point, I managed to find the time to head over to Pashupatinath for the latter part of the day. Overall, I think this was my favorite day in Kathmandu, as moment after moment unfolded like magic.

To get to Bhoudanath from my hotel over by Baniyatar Bridge, I had to walk down to the Gongabu Bus Station and go for a ride. Before crossing the bridge, I lit some incense at the small Hindu shrine maring te crossing, asking for protection and a blessed day.

The English on many of the signs here is quite amusing. For example, often instead of "Restaurant and Bar" you will see something more like "Restron Bar."

One of the most charming things about this city is the presence of many very old Hindu shrines and temples positioned among high rises and busy roads. As the city has grown with industrialization, these traditional little homes for the gods receive attention and maintenance. They are like little slices of the old Kathmandu, still enduring into the present.

Is Neeldavid what I may someday digivolve into? 😉

The bus ride, as usual, offered some lovely bits of nature along the busy main road as we rode past.

The bus let me off at a cluttered commercial district, from which I took a small "Micro-Bus" (more like a customized mini-van) five minutes down the lane to Bhoudanath.

With the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bhoudanath is really an amazing sight to behold. It is a massive Stupa, at least twice the size of Swayambunath, (the Monkey Temple). Parts of it were built in the 14th century, while other sources say that the original Stupa was built around 600 AD. Being in the middle of an urban area, there were no monkeys here, (but there were certainly a lot of stray dogs, to whom I gave many a pet and a "you're such a good doggy!"). Bhoudanath is a site of pilgrimiage for many devout Buddhist monks, and while I am not myself ordained in any monkhood, I believe that I share the same goal of seeking enlightenment and relief from suffering. As such, I prepared myself to circle the stupa many times, reciting "Om Mani Padme Hum," and giving offerings of incense and scented water.

This quote is hung on the wall in the school of artists who practice the painting of Mandalas and other spirirtually inspires paintings, under the tutelage of Lamas (not the animal, but rather the wise Buddhist teachers). This idea of making others happy is similar to what I have been asking at many of the shrines, temples, and stupas. I ask these gods and buddhas: "How can I be of service to the world? Please let me have the knowledge of how I can best give myself, to make this world a better place."

I read in the informational packet that those who specificaly provide a gift of scented water at this most sacred of places will be freed from all mental anguish and self-imposed suffering. Whether this was true or not, I decided that this was a form of grace fitting for me to seek. However, I did not know where to obtain scented water. After failing to find any after asking at shops, I went to a uniformed official and inquired about how I can make an offering of scented water. He took me back into an office where many orange flowers were being strung into chains given to the Stupa in offerings. I was led through this room into a back office, where I removed my shoes and sat with a "Head Lama" who had some apparent authority. I asked my humble question of how best to make this kind of offering, and received the instruction to find a small plastic cup, fill it with filtered water and add my chosen scent.

I had the water but I needed the cup and the scent. There were many nice orange flowers around, but I didn't know where to get one for myself. I got the cup from a shop and knelt down, adding the water and a pinch of incense that I was allowed to take for free from the same shopkeep. As I did this, a man sitting near me was calmly repeating, "Om.... Om.... Om....". Hoping to make a good offering, I pinched up some petals from the ground and added them to the cup. Suddenly, the "Om..." guy plopped a plump and fresh orange flower right into my cup. He had seen what I was trying to do, and with a smile, he gave me the perfect gift to have a lovely cup of scented water to offer. I thanked him and said "namaste." I was finally ready to proceed past the threshold and into the Stupa itself. I began chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum" and spinning the prayer wheels as I circled the Stupa clockwise. All the while, I dropped bits of scented water at the little statues of gods and buddhas, and left a little trail of this water as I walked.

My first circle around the stupa was along the outer courtyard. I quckly saw these cups with flowers in water and realized that I would have dscovered how to make a scented water offering on my own, without having to ask so many people. I chuckled to myself, still enjoying the unique way that the path I had taken led me to this point. Sometimes the answers you are seeking reveal themselves if you just continue on your path.

These very long strings of prayer flags whipped about in the wind, which carries their blessings far and wide.

These two statues stand like guards at the threshold to the inner courtyard of the Stupa.

 

I eventually left my cup of scented water. I circed the Stupa many times until I felt satisfied with the offerings I had made.

People were happily feeding these pigeons, who were happily eating.

Before leaving Bhoudanath, I was stopped by a gentle and smiling man who was pleased to see my knowledge of Buddhist practices. He invited me to come with him to one of the nearby monasteries. At this monastery, he and I spun a giant prayer wheel and chanted some mantras. He then told me that he was a Tibetan refugee who had lost everything, including his family. He was so inspired to see me doing what I was doing, that he gave me a golden string with a knot in it to wear around my neck. He told me that it was a gift from the Dalai Lama himself. I helped him out a bit and sent him off with good will. He asked not to be photographed.

Having a large part of the day ahead of me, I decided to make my way to the ancient Hindu temple of Pashupatinath. Little did I realize that I was about to see something even more amazing than the previous two days combined! I snapped some photos on my short walk.

They may not have Taco Bell here, but they have something with a suspiciously similar sign! 😉

The swastika is present in a lot of the architecture around Nepal, and it has nothing to do with Nazis or antisemitism. It is actually a sign present in many ancient religions around Eurasia, and to the Hindus is associated with Surya the sun god, and is a symbol of light, prosperity, and good luck. The symbol was only given its bad reputation after it was appropriated by the Nazis in the 1930s. While I already knew all of this, I am sure buildings like this are confusing to many tourists from Western countries!

Goats in a field.

I was not sure why these bamboo plants were tied together, but I would soon find out!

More fun with goats.

Now this is the finished result of the bamboo being tied together! These kids were having a lot of fun on this huge swing! They are very creative at coming up with forms of amusement in this country.

I ended up coming into Pashupatinath through the back way. This is the view from the bridge I took.

Even this tree at the entrance had me excited to walk into the ammazing temple complex.

What I did not realize is that Pashupatinath is not just one temple. It is like an entire district of the city full of ancient buildings and temples, even little shrines and statues. The vibe I get walking around Pashupatinath is very different from the rest of the city. I was often passed by sages, gurus and holy "babas," who all greeted me warmly. Multiple sources say that Pashupatinath was built in the 5th century AD, but the pamphlet I got said that parts of it are even older, some older than anyone can even know. One legend is that a powerful "linga" (an idol representing Shiva) dwells in the center of the main temple's sanctum, and that this particular linga manifested itself into reality, and later the temple was built around this miraculous object. Much of Pashupatinath is dedicated to Shiva. As such, I often found myself repeating his mantra, "Om Nama Shivaya."

I found myself saying "wow" out load as I marveled at the moss and grass growing from the roofs of these very, very old structures. I think the pure age emanating from these buildings is part of what sweeps me in.

Stairs leading up to the hillside temples.

In a similar way to Swayambunath, these stairs lead one up and out of the city, into a peaceful area that is like part serene nature and part spiritually-focused ancient architectural marvels. In fact there are even more monkeys here than in Swayambunath! It is amazing how, unlike most of the rest of Kathmandu, these sacred temples are built in harmony with nature, and remain that way today. The animals love it here just as much as the people do.

A little monkey munches on his snack as I come up the stairs.

So many monkeys!

Instead of following the main stairs, I took a side-path that forked off going another way up the forested hill. It brought me to a park with many, many monkeys. A nice little surprise was some people selling bags of peanuts that you can throw to the monkeys. I even held out peanuts and the monkeys came and snatched them right out of my hands!

Feeding the monkeys!

The path through the park with the monkeys led me back to the main stairs. As usual, I am glad I took the road less traveled.

Finally I arrived at the summit of the hill to an ornate plaza with very old and cracked rocks.

As with much of the city, parts of this place are damaged by the recent earthquakes of 2015. I first stooped into a little shrine and gave puja. Puja is the hindi word for an offering. Puja can be in the form of a prayer or mantra dedicated to the god of the shrine, lighting some incense, making a small gift of rupees, or some other offering. Giving puja is a good way to receive the god's blessings, and to ensure your prayers will be answered. Or at the very least, giving puja is communing with the divine nature that dwells within us all. When I give puja, I feel at peace because I am reminded of my own godliness and that of the world around me. It is ineffable.

Weapons are often associated with Shiva.

If only I could read this ancient text, to ponder its mysteries.

The trident is a symbol of Shiva.

I imagined the days long past when this massive bell, now petrified, was rung with fervor. Who were the people who climbed the hill back in those days to answer its call?

As I walked about this site, I took photos of many relics. A young man name Alex came and introduced himself to me. He had a lot of compelling philosophical ideas that I found to be agreeable. We exchanged contact info. I thought that maybe I would meet up with him tomorrow when I go to see Durbar Square. But for now, I wanted to go about this place in the peace and quiet.

One thing I really enjoyed about this place is that while there were some tourists, it was not swolen with tourists like Swayambunath and Bhoudanath. It was mostly locals coming to give puja and enjoy the peace. There were no people coming just for a "selfie." This place is really special.

Many small Shiva lingas.

Living in the Pashupatinath area are some gurus who dress in traditional clothes and exude a constant aura of peace and calm. Some live in nearby caves while others live in buildings connected to the temple site. One such man was sitting by a fire as I walked past. I saw a donation box to help with repairs from the earthquake near him, and felt called to give some rupees. When he saw me giving, he smiled and beckoned, "sit." I removed my shoes and sat beside him. Hoping to gain some esoteric knowledge from him, I asked a question, but I quickly learned that he did not speak English, and probably understood very little. So we sat in silence, and he gave me a cup of the most delicious chai tea I have ever had from the pot that he had been boiling at the fire.

When he got up to go, I asked him if he would take a picture with me, so I could remember the moment and his face. After the picture, I told him, "I wish I could speak your language, but I can only say this: Om Namah Shivaya!" And I gestured to the temple around us as I said Shiva's mantra. The man smiled deeply and nodded, and to me he replied "Yogi gurunatha." I felt an incredible honor at this reply, which is a bit of Hindi that I do know. Gurunatha is the ultimate source of compassion, truth, and love. It is a term that reaches beyond any religion or sectarian divides. Another name of Shiva is Aadigurunatha. In this word we understood each other despite our different languages and cultural backgrounds. By inciting the name of Lord Shiva, I was able to communicate with this holy man from heart to heart. I was reminded of the first guru from India who I had learned from earlier in my life, by the name of Nandhi, who taught us the mantra "Jaya jaya natha, Shiva gurunatha." By reciting these words and focusing on the point directly above the navel, we tap into the inner guru, magnifying our capability of scupting reality. We may feel the light of all the gurus who lived lifetimes before us.

The pot from which he poured the near-boiling tea. It is set at the base of some powerful divine weapons of the gods.

The holy man with whom I sat and shared this moment of peace. I sat next to him as that is what I wanted to do. It is amazing what can happen when you go where your heart wants to go.

Perhaps this crack was sustained during the last earthquake.

In some of the statues around here, Shiva boasts quite a potent erection.

It would seem not only holy men, but also dogs, cats, and puppies make their homes at Pashupatinath.

Here all beings are at peace. A cat and dog cuddle together.

I took a path off to the side and enjoyed some of the nature in this huge park surrounding Pashupatinath.

A peaceful way marked by the sounds of birds.

A view of the temple complex from the outside.

These amazing purple flower bushes are everywhere.

So many happy animals.

Puppies playing. So cute!

The bull, Nandhi, the vehicle of Shiva.

This statue has recently received some love from passers-by.

Perhaps this was once part of one of those massive bells.

This bell seems in quite good condition. Perhaps it was recently restored. Maybe it is even still in use?

I greeted one of the lovely puppies.

Some people seemed to be living in one of these old buildings. They are keeping some beehives. I don't know if they are associated with the temple itself or just squatters, but they were not dressed like the babas.

These bulls wandered through unmolested.

I thought I had reached the end of Pahupatinath, as I found stairs on the other side leading down, however a nearby cafe owner informed me that much of Pashupatinath lies on the other side of the hill! I realized that I probably should have hired a guide if I really wanted to get a good idea of everything around this magical place.

These ancient staircases are incredible. Even walking through  the whole place so far, I marveled at the huge stones laid flat through the whole area. They have been cut to perfect size and placed exactly in their positions. It is mind-boggling to think about what kind of technology must have been used to construct this over 1500 years ago!

A rather athletic monkey swings across the fence.

Amazing! These structures continue all the way down the hill, and you can see the rest of Pashupatinath and some of Kathmandu in the distance.

Across the river, drums were playing. Over in the Shree Pashupatinath temple of Shiva, Hindu devotees were playing music in ritual, perhaps in anticipation of the upcoming holiday of Dashain.

The head of this statue came off long ago.

I was following the sound of music and I came across this wonderful mural that is too big to photograph in one picture:

The music was coming from this very good band, playing in a nearby courtyard!

A kneeling Garuda faces some cloaked figures locked within this sanctum. Many shrines are locked, only opening at certain times of day.

More of this captivating band. The  drums are so cool, unlike anything I have heard! And the woman singing is very good as well.

As I started back to the path I was taking, a nice man said hello to me and we stopped to chat for a while. His name is Raju. He asked what I thought of Pashupatinath and I told him how amazing I thought it was. I mentioned that I would maybe have been better off with a guide, and that I was thinking of coming back the next day and hriing a guide to see the rest of it. Not wanting me to pay the entrance fee again, he beckoned me: "come!" As I followed him, he began explaining to me the rituals and ceremonies happening around. He was to act as my guide for the remainder of the day, and it turns out that he has an intimate knowledge of all of the statues and shrines around.

Raju explained to me that these pyres that I had seen burning on the other side of the river are actually bodies being cremated. Hindus believe that by destroying the corpse, the soul may be released to traverse the beyond.

Here is a full picture of the central temple to Shiva, Shree Pashupatinath.

A larger Shiva linga.

Raju took me past many shrines with small Shiva lingas, and showed me this fantastic view where you can see them stretching back, seemingly infinitely!

Raju stopped to explain to me that all of the deities we visit in the Hindu shrines are manifestations of God. In fact, even the Christs in the Christian churches around the area are also like different aspects of this divine oneness. I smiled at this very holistic view that he presented me with, and acknowledged with the Hindu term, "Atman." Hindus believe that God is present within all of us and in everything, and this idea is expressed through the word "Atman" which means both "self" and "God" at the same time.

I may be remembering wrong, but I think this was a particular type of image of Shiva.

I think this is Parvati, the wife of Shiva.

After we crossed a big bridge, we passed by a shrine where a holy man was waving his hand at me. I did not know what he was trying to do, but Raju told me that he was trying to give me a blessing. I came and knelt before this aged fellow, who patted my head repeatedly and rhythmically, saying an incantation in a language I do not understand, chanting to this same rhythm and dabbing more tikka on my forehead. (Tikka is the red mark that you see on my forehead in the pictures on this post and, which many people were wearing throughout the Pashupatinath area. There are different kinds of tikka, but all mark the blessings of Hindu gods.) Finally, the man tied a yellow and purple bracelet around my right wrist, imbuing it with holy protection. I still wear the bracelet today.

The different plants here really amaze me. There are a lot of very tall trees.

Down in this pit is another Shiva linga.

I got closer to snap a better photo.

I zoomed in to get a picture of the deity in this shrine through a locked gate.

When this fountain used the run, the water was once clean and pure. Devotees would wash themselves here before entering the temple of Shree Pashupatinath. Now it does not run, possibly due to damage from earthquakes, or possibly because there is no clean tap water in kathmandu.

I learned that only Hindus are allowed to enter into the temple of Shree Pashupatinath, and I cannot even take photographs of the inside from over the fence. However, photographing the massive gate is allowed.

Shiva is at the top of the gate.

Ganesh is on the left side.

I cannot remember who this is on the right side, but I think it is Murugan since he has the spear.

This fresco tops the gate.

This amazing altar was hidden in a corner courtyard far off to the side, dug down to be closer to the roots of this sacred tree. I was able to make an amazing puja here, lighting incense and leaving a few rupees.

Devotees will pour milk into this chalice and let it drip onto the linga, or egg, representing Shiva. Tucked in the shrine to the right is a statue of Parvati, Shiva's wife.

In this corner is a miniature trident of Shiva.

Without Raju to lead e and share his knowledge, I would not have even come to this hidden place, nor would I have realized that this root-shaped structure is actually a very old statue of Ganesh. I felt the elephant-headed god's power emanating from it. As with the other Ganesh statues I have encountered, I recited his the mantra invoking his name: "Ring! Ang! Ung! Ganapati ye namaha."

I left this place with a deep feeling of peace.

We passed another monkey.

Next, we took these back stairs up to a holy hill next to Pashupatinath, known as Kailash.

A nice view of Pashupatinath from these stairs.

We passed by the very same tree that had caught my eye earlier.

Kailash is home to many hidden treasures that only locals can know of, including this tree, Peepal, which carries in it the powers of Lakshmi and Narayani. It is armored to prevent monkeys from climbing it.

In a back corner of this beautiful park is a shrine to Krishna, the flute player.

I was amazed to see these leafy steps leading down the cliff to the riverside. The Bagmati river runs through Pashuptinath and cuts through Kathmandu. In English it would be called the Tiger River.

Another hidden shrine! These places are treasures to me. It is the side of Kathmandu that I had been longing to see.

Raju leads me this way, to the caves of the holy gurus.

This shrine by the Bagmati holds another blessed Shiva linga.

Raju and I pose for a selfie. He is really a beautiful soul!

Raju told me that the Bagmati river is a sacred river. We proceeded along the hidden path under some cliffs that goes along this part of the river. In this little canyon, the rock formations are stunning. These caves have had gurus living in them for hundreds of years.

An informative sign describes the significance of this most holy of places. 

A magnificent mural down by these caves depicts a meditating master.

As we finished chatting with a kind man by the riverside, it was beginning to grow darker.

From back here, it was a lovely shot of Pashupatinath lit up with people conducting ceremonies.

As we migrated back towards the main area of Pashupatinath, the most enchanting and mysterious music drifted into my ears. You can hear it in this video. It was so peaceful and mesmerizing. We stayed for a while and listened.

Here is the shrine of the river god, Baasukinath.

I think this may be the shrine to Saraswati, though I can't remember by looking at the photo.

Here at a temple of Bhuwaneshowri I gave puja and the holy man within stuck his hands out and gave me a couple of tiny bananas, and a lovely red flower. Raju informed me that I was lucky. The bananas are to eat, and the flower is for good luck, and so I kept it with me in my backpack. What a marvelous and ephemeral blessing!

Raju then led me down the road a ways and down another path leading to the riverside. We passed a shrine of Hanuman Ji, the monkey god, and received blessings. We continued to a tiny and out-of-the-way statue of Parvati. Here we prayed, "mother Parvati, please look after me." On the left, you can see a relic, which Raju tells me that locals believe was once a temple to the sacred cow, most of which is now underwater. Below and to the right, you can see the small yet powerful Parvati statue. It is thanks to Raju that I was able to see these secret and magical places!

 

 After we finished our tour, Raju even accompanied me to the bus stop and ensured that I got on the safest bus, as by then it was rather late. He wished me well and told me that if I ever need anything, or need a guide for another day, to just let him know. We are still in contact even now. He is such a kind and caring soul.

On my way home, I found a very affectionate stray dog.

By the end of today, I had a thick layer of Tikka caked onto my forehead. The orange is from shrines to Hanuman-Ji, while the red is from the other shrines. I was glowing and feeling very content. This was the taste of spiritual life in Nepal that I had been craving.

My surprises were not yet over. At dinner that night, some young men had come to stay at my hotel. The guests always have dinner in the family's kitchen, and we are treated to Nepali home-cooking as if we were their family. The young men here tonight were very welcoming and interested in my life in America. They are from Lumbini and they come to this hotel whenever they visit their friends in Kathmandu, and treat it like a second home. We ate together and then commenced drinking some beers! We had a really jolly time.

Here are my new Nepali friends as we sit together at the table here with some beers. The second man from the right is Sudan, the owner of the hotel, and his wife and daughter are in the photo as well.

After the beers, the party wasn't over. We still wanted to dance and I had to show them some Western music. So we proceeded to their room and I broke out some Bassnectar on my portable speaker. We danced together and I showed them some shuffling and tutting moves. Then I busted out the gloves and blew their minds with some lightshows! They had never seen anything like it and were delighted to see a totally new style of dance! I was especially happy to have my favorite Bassnectar songs sounding so good in their ears. We listened to such classic tracks as Ridiculous Wobble, Skin, and Blow.

Here my new friend Krishna and pose for a selfie while we get down to some Bassnectar!

This day I got both ends of the spectrum--the immaterial and spiritual joy of visiting holy sites, giving puja, and receiving blessings; and the physical and hedonistic joy of meeting new friends, getting a little drunk, and dancing to great music! Even writing this over a week later, this has been one of my favorite days in Nepal thus far!