Last rites: Electric crematorium less preferred

By Aastha Karmacharya,Kathmandu, July 30: How many bodies are cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat in a year?  Making an exact prediction is a difficult task as the number of deaths could be high during natural calamities or pandemics. In 2015, when a powerful earthquake jolted the valley, over 533 bodies of those killed in the devastating earthquake were cremated, and in 2021, when COVID-19 pandemic spread, 13,402 bodies were brought for cremation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all the cremation ghats used to be occupied all the time. 

However, in 2080 Bikram Samabt (from April 14, 2023 to April 12, 2024) a total of 11,746 bodies were brought to Aryaghat for cremation, and of them, 1,441 were bodies of infants which were buried in the jungle across the Aryaghat crematory. 

The bodies brought for the funeral ceremony in Pashupati Aryaghat of Kathmandu are cremated in open-air pyres (representing the traditional burial process) or in the three electric crematoriums. However, the bodies of small children are buried in the jungle across the crematorium site.   

The details recorded by Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) show 11,746 bodies landed in Pashupati Aryaghat for their funeral in a year from April 14, 2023, to April 12, 2024). Of them, 7,023 bodies were cremated in the open-air pyres while 3,233 bodies were cremated in the electric cremation and 1,441 children were buried in the jungle across the Bagmati.

In January 2016, the PADT installed two electric crematory machines for cremation service which were brought from Kolkata, India. In 2021, after an interval of six years, PADT installed the third electric crematory machine. The two old crematory machines were also repaired, according to an official (who did not want to disclose his name) at the of PADT. 

There is a strong belief among Hindus that the souls of the persons whose bodies are cremated in the holy Pashupati Aryaghat by putting holy water in their mouths will find a place in heaven. This is the reason why more bodies are cremated in the open. 

The Registrar (who also denied mentioning his name) of Pashupati Ghat Registration said that the number of bodies that arrive daily cannot be exactly estimated. “Our service is open 24 hours a day, so if today 10 bodies land for the cremation in ghat, tomorrow they can be 15 and the day after they can decrease as well, we can’t predict how many bodies will arrive on particular days. Sometimes some mourning groups have to wait for a longer time if all the places designated for making funeral pyres are reserved,” he said. 

Bodies of all ages are brought here, not just the bodies of old people, he said, pointing at the arrival of a body in a coffin. “This is how the bodies are brought here for cremation even from other countries.”  

Electronic cremation is preferred by those mourning members who want the funeral process to be completed faster. The service charge is cheaper which costs Rs. 4,000 and within 45 minutes to one hour, the bodies are turned into ashes in the furnace. 

The traditional crematory service costs Rs. 27,000 for those who prefer to cremate the bodies right below the Pashupati Temple and it costs Rs. 23,000 for the ghats on the other side, said the Registrar.

The traditional cremation process includes more funeral rituals. The mourning members pay tributes to the bodies of their dear ones by offering holy water in their mouths, they put the red colour all over the white cloth and offer garlands. The final rite is performed by the male offspring who circumambulate three times with a torch at the end of a piece of wood. It takes around three to four hours to completely cremate a body in open-air cremation. 

The PADT data shows that 26 bodies were cremated free of cost at the electric crematory last year as the deceased had no family members and relatives and friends had brought the bodies for cremation. 

The firewood, essential for the traditional cremation is brought from Timber Corporation of Nepal. The firewood is placed in the parking area of the Pashupati premises. Binita Aryal, a care assistant of wood stock, said that overall 2 million to 2.2 million kg of firewood lands there annually and about 5,000 kg of firewood is required for cremation every day. “Around 200 to 300 kg of firewood is needed to cremate one body, but it also depends upon the size of the body,” said the PADT administrator. 

(Karmacharya is an intern with The Rising Nepal.)