Festival Day!

Last Sunday was Shivaratri, a major Hindu festival dedicated to the lord Shiva. While mainly celebrated at night, the traditions begin early in the morning. Lena and Bishwo explained that every year the young kids use a rope to block roads until they receive a 5 or 10 rupee fee. The revenue is used to purchase candy and also wood to burn for the celebration at night. We watched this unfold time and time again from our vantage point on the farm. Some drivers were more obliging than others.

After the day of farming and some rest, the celebration began to unfold. A key part of Shivaratri is burning fires in temples and out in the street. And also apparently smoking weed - it's the one day of the year where smoking marijuana is legal.

Lena and Bishwo kindly offered to drive us into Kathmandu to see the activities in full force.

By this point our volunteer numbers had grown. I went with (from left to right) Tifen (French), Ewen (French), and Pau (Spanish).

With Lena and Bishwo at the helm, they took us into the large temple complex.

We passed by worshippers who had spent the night on the ground inside the complex as well as Baba Gs surrounded by followers. We were quickly inside the belly of the beast. The stairs were packed with a swarming crowd of chanting men. I couldn't take many photos as I was packed shoulder to shoulder with throngs of Nepali men. It was chaos.

We got to calmer lookout point and watched the energy below. The smoke is from pyres cremating devout Hindus.

Friends and family members wrap the bodies of the deceased before cremation.

Eventually we wound our way through the religious site towards what I thought was the exit.

But actually it was an entire concert venue.

Unfortunately I don't have many photos or videos as I was mostly overwhelmed by the chaotic energy around me. I had heard that culturally rich Nepal has its fair share of festivals, and Shivaratri was no joke.