Cremation is a ritual designed to do much more than dispose of the body, it is intended to release the soul from its earthly existence.  Hindus believe that cremation, as compared to burial or outside disintegration, is the most spiritually beneficial to the departed soul. This is based on the belief that the "astral body" will linger as long as the physical body remains visible.  It is believed that if the body is not cremated the soul remains nearby for days or months.

The standard cremation ceremony begins with the ritual cleansing, dressing and adorning of the body.  The body is then carried to the cremation area as prayers are chanted.

In Kathmandu, after the body is cremated the ashes are taken down to the Bagmati River where the current will eventually carry them into the holy River Ganges.

I took the pictures that follow from a vantage point across the Bagmati River.  I am putting them on my website with much respect for the dead and the bereaved families.

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