Source: South China Morning Post, November 27, 2000
KATHMANDU, INDIA: To have our last rites performed according to the Vedas is the parting wish of all devout Hindus. With the shortage of wood for many of the crematoria in Kathmandu, Nepal, the government has established an electric crematorium in the area around Pashupatinath Temple. Traditional funerals, with wood and hay for fuel, are performed outdoors. However, the water level of the nearby Bagmati River is insufficient to properly dispose of ashes and remains after these traditional cremations, adding to the already polluted river. A survey of 5,000 citizens of Kathmandu conducted by the Lions Club supports the new electric crematorium. Similar crematoriums have been built in Banaras, India, and are in common use by Hindus elsewhere in the world.