As death toll rises, Nepalis turn to prayer and hope after devastating floods
KATHMANDU — White smoke billowed over the banks of the Bagmati River running through the Nepalese capital. A Hindu funeral ritual was underway, in which the deceased were washed in the sacred river before being cremated and their ashes returned to the water. As victims of the devastating floods continued to arrive, the smoke had grown noticeably thicker over the past several days. On Tuesday, a…
Kathmandu, Nepal — Thick white smoke rose from the Bagmati River as the city faced a tragic increase in flood-related deaths. Hindus performed a traditional funeral ritual, washing the deceased in the revered river before cremation, with the smoke intensifying over the past week. On Tuesday, a week after the floods, the Hankook Ilbo observed the Pashupatinath Temple, located on Kathmandu's eastern outskirts.
The temple, a globally recognized Hindu pilgrimage site, was enveloped in smoke, with 11 of its 12 cremation platforms actively burning bodies. Another body, draped in orange cloth, arrived on a stretcher, to be washed and then cremated by family members. The Pashupatinath Temple, dedicated to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration, is a poignant final farewell for those who lost loved ones in the devastating floods.
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