Tonight I went back to the Pashupatinath Temple to witness the Hindi Shiva ceremony on the banks of the Bagmati River. The dead were being washed and cremated, bulls ran past on the loose, Sadhu’s blessed me and asked me for cash whilst a gathering of thousands lined the river banks to the sounds of live music. Wafts of urine filled my nose. Stray dogs walked past or slept on the ground beside me.

People cheered, people sang as a band hooked up to a P.A system played the melodious texts accompanied by traditional instruments. I stood just centimeters from where the ceremony was being conducted expecting that someone would tell me to move out of respect. Nobody did.

I felt an incredible sense of togetherness. As I watched families dancing and singing together, young couples taking selfies and holding hands, and various individuals losing themselves in the power of the moment, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of connectedness to everyone. Not out of a religious context, but from a place of humanity.

Om namah shivaya!