I am lucky traveller. Today in the Temple of Pasupatinah, some 5 kms from Kathmandu they celebrate Mahashivaratri Festival. The temple is located on both sides of Bagmati river. On the banks of the river there are ghats – cremation sites for hindu religion believers. Since the morning thousands of people, not only from Nepal, including holy sadhus are going to this holy temple to pray, to leave offers. I took there minibus departing from Ganesh temple in Kathmandu (25 rs). Already at the temple gate there was enormous crowd, music and unusual atmosphere. I was in the middle of the crowd. I didn’t see any other foreigners..
Hundered of policemen were pushing the crowd to move. Slowly, slowly… I reached the bridge on Bagmati river. There were cremations going and generating a lot of smoke.
Ladies in colorful saris, children in the special costumes but also herds of shouting tenagers – unusual event. The line of the people waiting to enter the main gold roof temple was very, very long… I even did not try to wait because entry is restricted to the hindu believers. After 3 hoyrs it was not easy to get out of the temple complex
Return buses were staing in the traffic jams, so I decided to go back to Kathmandu – 5 kms by foot. This was very interesting expetience, but I was warned that thieves are operating in the festival’s crowd. I survived!
