Where: Nepal, Timal
People: Tamang
Religion: Mainly Buddhism mixed with Hinduism, Animism and Shamanism
Ritual: Mainly Buddhist
In Tibetan Buddhism, one believes in death and rebirth as in Hinduism. The Tamang people originally came to Nepal from Tibet and settled in different places in the mountains surrounding Kathmandu.
The religion of the Tamang people is a mix of old Spritualism, Hindusim, Buddhism and Animism. When a person is dead, the dead body is placed in lotus position to give the spirit peace. It is easy, when the body is still warm, but a bit more difficult after rigor mortis has occurred.Read More
Ramri Tamang, who died of asthma at the age of 53 years, is being prepared for the rituals. The coins in the mouth are for the transport to the Land of the Dead.
Ramris’s body is placed in the family’s living room in the mud-built house. Candles help keep the spirit in place during the rituals.
The Buddhist priests are called Lamas. They play, sing and recite mantras from The Tibetan Book of Death for the spirit of Ramri, helping it to find peace.
Ramri’s eldest son carries a candle and sacrifices in the form of rice, money and flowers for his mother’s spirit.
Family members, friends and villagers and lighting candles for Ramri.
Ramri’s last temple. First, the body is carried around the temple five times as a symbol of the five elements. The fifth element is her spirit. After that she will be carried in the temple to the cremation grounds.
A 100 meter long piece of white fabric is carried in front of Ramri’s temple on the way to the cremation grounds. It show Ramri’s spirit the way.
Ramri’s body is being cremated during the night at the cremation grounds outside the village. The fire cleans and absorbs the body, so the spirit is free to move on.
Ramri’s sons are praying at the cremations grounds in the morning after the cremation.
The following day, the family finds a small piece of Ramris skull in the remains of the fire. This piece of Ramri’s skull and her clothes are kept in the home while a candle burns constantly for the next 13 days – until the final rituals, the Ghewa, begins.