Rites go on by Padam Raj Bhatta

Photo: Dipendra Ghungana

RITES GO ON: Every evening, on the banks of Bagmati river by the Pashupatinath Temple, Navin Regmi, 25, sets up for the ‘Nitya Sandhya Aarati’, the evening Hindu ritual. The sounds of devotional Hindu music and blowing horns fill the surroundings followed by ringing bells. In the twilight evening, by the banks of the river in ‘Brahmanaal’, death rites are performed for every corpse that comes to the temple for cremation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not stopped the evening ritual. Before the hundreds of spectators used to watch these dramatic rituals every evening, and that has changed due to pandemic. But Regmi and his three colleagues are keeping at it. “These rituals demand to be fulfilled, so we are still doing it every evening, “ says Regmi, “But we are respecting the rules of social distancing, sanitizing and taking precautions.”

Photo: Dipendra Dhungana @the_pen_raw

Text: Padam Bhatta @padambhatta255

Copy Edit: Nisha Rai @nishastoryteller

Edit: Mallika Aryal @mikaness

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