My friend, Pastor Samuel Sodemba, on my last day in Nepal, July 2006, took me to cremation ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, a place where the Hindus cremate their dead. It was a solemn occasion and I have this to share with you.
A military officer’s body was cremated in that cremation ceremony in Nepal, at the same time there were some gunshots in his honor. A lot of smoke was coming up and it flew with the wind. It was very difficult to breath near the spot where this action was taking place. The human flesh was burning and there was a very bitter kind of smell. It was affecting the lungs. The place of cremation was huge; six people were cremated at the same time. I saw the tragic end of human bodies.
A woman was weeping very hard because her beloved husband passed away. I saw the Hindu priest walk around the body several times. Then a man put some oil on the body and lit it on fire. The cries of this woman could be heard in the whole place.
At another location in the crematorium, some men were shaving their heads as a sign of their grief. Their brother had died and the grim ceremony was taking place.
In cremation system in Nepal, they also burn the bodies with help of wet straws of rice. I saw that a shallow, dirty river flowed through and out from this place of burning. Ashes from the cremated bodies were thrown into this river. It was a very sad scene.
While departing from this place where cremation ceremony in Nepal was being hosted, very close to it I saw a bride and groom who were going to be married with Hindu rituals. Again, I could imagine the cremation scene and thought; this couple will end up in the same place, in the same fashion. Life is so artificial and temporary. But human beings take so much care for it in this world while they forget that one day there will be judgment. They will be accountable for their actions and deeds.
