Wednesday, August 28, 2019 -
Sunrise over the Annapurna Massif again...
I was successful in convincing our guide to rise early
and watch the sunrise for the second day in a row.
Machhapuchhare (or Fish Tail) as the sun hits the top of the mountain.
Annapurna I in the sun between clouds. It was tough to get good pictures as the clouds
hung near the mountains.
We then flew to Kathmandu the capital and largest city of Nepal.
After meeting our guide, we headed out. First stop Boudhanath stupa.
Boudhanath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.
These are the Buddha eyes and the wisdom eyes.
The eyes of the Buddha in the stupa symbolize the all-seeing ability of the Buddha.
We stopped at a Tibetan Monastery off the Boudhanath stupa circle. I was allowed to take pictures inside.
Decorations inside the temple.
An offering of a flower in water.
Buddha holding streamers of the five sacred colors.
An altar covered with swastikas, an ancient symbol before the Germans.
A painting/statue outside the Guru Lhakhang Monastery also on the outside of the Boudhanath stupa.
The painting in a stairwell of the Guru Lhakhang Monastery.
A small shrine in a wall niche of the Boudhanath stupa.
The eyes watch over a statue.
Around the Boudhanath stupa are temples and buildings - the buildings are mostly shops and restaurants.
At the base of Boudhanath stupa were hundreds of flowers in water - as with other temples I am assuming
that the water and flowers are changed every day.
Statues in a niche.
Cal and Virginia Ann at bells near one of the entrances to the stupa.
As you walk around the giant stupa the eyes follow you.
There are many (hundreds?) of buddha in niches around the base of the stupa.
As we waited for our tour van, I was able to photograph this small shop.
Virginia Ann asked this woman to pose for us.
We then headed to Pashupatinath Temple a sacred Hindu temple complex that is located on the banks of the
Bagmati River.
This is a detail of the gate leading into the temple. We were not allowed to enter the temple.
The richly ornamented pagoda houses the sacred linga or holy symbol of Lord Shiva.
From a hill I was able to take a picture inside the temple of the bull, which is Lord Shiva's animal.
Cremation of Hindus take place on raised platforms along the Bagmati River. The Bagmati River flows into
the Ganges River, both considered sacred to the Hindus.
Women carrying wood for cremation fires.
The area of Pashupatinath encompasses 518 temples and monuments - a lot.
The family at a crematorium.
These three men were sitting on the top of a temple's steps. I like how they are all sitting
a little different.
Virginia Ann braving the wild cow walking across the bridge over the Bagmati River.
The cremation stands.
While we were there we were able to watch a funeral in progress. Outside the temple the family and
friends gather as men lower the body into the sacred Bagmati River.
In this picture the women each pour water into the mouth of the deceased.
As we were leaving the temple one of the cremations was finished and the men pushed the ashes into
the sacred Bagmati River.
A huge bull on the Bagmati River bridge gets a flower.
A cremation in progress.
There was light drizzle as we left the Pashupatinath complex. This little monkey scurried
across our path and jumped up onto the entrance wall.