Pashupatinath - Bagmati Ghats

The Bagmati ghats are an integral part of the Pashupatinath complex. Daily ablutions in the sacred though badly polluted river bring Hindus the promise of escape from the cycle of rebirth.

The same hope attends the cremation of the dead. Accompanied by male relatives - the women stay at home to weep - the dying are laid with their feet touching the water and given a last sip from the river to drink. The eldest son conducts the ritual. When the time comes the fire is lit with surprisingly little ceremony. Afterwards the ashes are consigned to the Bagmati on their journey to the Ganges.

Cremations, though carried out in public, are intensely personal religious affairs. Spectators brandishing video cameras and telephoto lenses