Sadhu II, Pashupatinath Complex, Kathmandu, Nepal (2010)
Pashupatinath is among the holiest sites of Hinduism and is an important site for cremation of the dead. Here a Hindu holy man demonstrates yoga poses at a pavilion adjacent to the Bagmati River. On the opposite bank the funeral pyres burn, filling the air with the scent of smoke sweetened with incense. When the fire dies the ashes are swept into the river, eventually making their way to the Ganges and on to the Gulf of Bengal. The Sadhus have given up all material attachments to wander. |