kathmandu

​​​​​​I  get a cheap room in the centre of town and sleep for house. The next morning, with Mr  Shah,s son and nephew, I visit the two Temples in Kathmandu that are most sacred to Hindu 's and Buddhists.

At Pashupatinath ( outside which a sing proclaims Entrance for the Hindus only ) there is anmosphere of febrile confusion.priests, hawkers, devotees, tourists, cows, monkeys, pigeons dogs roam ​​​​​​ through the grounds. We offer a few flowers. There are So many worshippers that some people trying to get the priest,s attention are elbowed asied by othets pushing their way to the front. A princess of the Nepalese rou downal house appears : ,every one bows and makes way. by the main Gate, a party of soffron-clad Westerners struggle for permission to entre. The police man is not convinced that they are the Hindus ( only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple,)A fight breaks between two monkeys. One other other, who jumps into a shivalinga, then screamingruns around the temples and down theriver, the hole Bagmati, that flows  below. A corpse is baking cremated on its bank :,washer women are their work and children bathe. From a  balcony a basket of flowers and leaves, offerings now wilted is dropped into the river.