Published on: April 3, 2025

On a recent visit to Nepal for the International Conference on Palliative Care for All in Rural Nepal,  Jane Bates, Smriti Rana, Chitra Venkateswaran and Tania Pastrana step outside and find life and death co-existing.

Left: Facility doors remain open, a symbolic gesture of acceptance rather than isolation
Right: The flames and smoke of fires burn constantly along the rivers edge

A short break from the conference provides the opportunity to visit a palliative care service within one of Hinduism’s holiest temple sites. Navigating the busy four lane highway, we make our way towards the Bagmati river. Here, within the grounds of the Pashupatinath temple, hundreds of faithful Hindus end their days, cremated on funeral pyres. The flames and smoke of fires burn constantly along the river’s edge.


Blog Published by EAPC (European Association for Palliative Care)

Read this full article and about the authors on: EAPC BLOG

Read More about: Cremation Rites in Hinduism

Find out more about the international conference: Rural Palliative Care Conference in Nepal Leave No one behind

Comments are closed.