Paul, Michael, Yorick and I were completely quiet the moment we saw all the pyres burning.
We sort of just stared. It was quiet something to see. We all felt a little out of place and weird for taking photos just because these were people's funerals. It was crazy to see the different stages of burnt pyres.
Pashupatinath, or Pashupati, is a Hindu temple. It attracts thousands of pilgrims each year.
Legend has it that the Hindu god Shiva once fled from the other gods in Varanasi to the forest on the opposite bank of the river from this temple. He took the form of a gazelle. The gods discovered him there and tried to bring him back to Varanasi but he leapt across the river to the other side where one of his horns broke into 4 pieces. Shiva became a manifest as Pashupati (Lord of Animals).
The Bagmati River, which runs next to Pashaputinath Temple, has highly sacred properties. Thus the banks are lined with many ghats(bathing spots) for use by pilgrims. Renovating or furnishing these sites has always been regarded as meritorious.
Across the Bagmati River are 15 votive shrines, the Pandra Shivalaya, which were built to enshrine lingas in memory of deceased persons between 1859 and 1869.
After walking around and watching the pyres for a bit. We came across the bridge and saw groups of people watching something from down the river. There was a funeral procession happening. Family members were surrounding an area of the river. The women were at the top of the stairs while the men were closer to the bottom where the river was. There was a body wrapped in orange fabric. I don't really know what the men were doing. I can only guess that they were cleaning the body and decorating it with colors. Sometimes the women would come down and do stuff too. We watched for a bit and then went to find a place more higher to watch.
I didn't take a lot of photos because I felt wrong doing so. The locals were telling us that it was ok to take photos here but in Varanasi, you weren't allowed to. 
On the river, there were some boys digging (?) stuff out of the water. Once the fire is gone and the body is all cremated, someone sweeps the ashes and remaining wood/bones down to the stream. I can only assume that the boys were moving ashes and other things out farther down the stream.Overall this was the most eye opening thing I saw. It was intense and emotionally. And it goes to show that everything eventually goes back to the Earth.
