Devil’s Music

Late into the night, after much thought, Geon finally fell asleep as dawn approached. When he awoke the next day, Birasi was already not in the bed.

"Where could Mr. Birasi have gone?"

After searching around the lodge for a while, Geon approached the counter to ask.

"Excuse me. Have you seen the person who came with me yesterday?"

The keeper, wearing a traditional Nepalese hat called a Dhaka topi and sporting a beard, replied in English.

"If you are referring to the person who rode a buffalo, he left early in the morning. When I asked him where he was headed so early, he just smiled and rode off on his buffalo."

"Ah, I see. Thank you."

Geon went back to his room to pack his scattered belongings into his backpack.

"I hope he doesn't get lost, not being in his right mind and all. I wonder if I could meet him again at Pashupatinath Temple. It would have been nice to at least say goodbye after learning so much from him yesterday, perhaps even treat him to breakfast."

Before leaving the lodge, Geon asked the keeper for directions to Pashupatinath Temple and headed in the direction the keeper pointed. The path along the sheer cliffs soon ended, and a neatly paved road appeared. Occasionally, cars passed by, and people heading to the festival began to appear. As he neared the temple, the crowd grew thicker, until it felt like walking along a busy street in Korea's nightlife district on a Friday night.

Wearing sunglasses and observing the Nepalis, Geon spotted the majestic Pashupatinath Temple in the distance. He took off his sunglasses for a better look at the grand structure of the temple.

"It's huge! How many stories is that?"

While Geon was admiring the temple, a Nepali, startled by Geon's presence, shouted,

"Deva! It's the Deva! The Deva has come to the Hindu temple!"

The people walking around Geon turned their attention towards him. Feeling awkward under their gazes, Geon raised his hand in greeting.

"Ahaha, hello?"

An elderly woman approached him, tears welling up in her eyes as she grasped Geon's hand, and people began to kneel and bow towards him. Geon looked down at the elderly woman holding his hand, confused and overwhelmed.

"Ah...ahaha, yes, thank you. But I'm not a Deva, grandmother."

Their conversation went nowhere, as one spoke Nepali and the other English. Feeling embarrassed and unable to break free from the elderly woman, Geon stood there helplessly until foreign tourists, noticing the scene, exclaimed.

"Kyaa! It's Kay!"

"Where, where!? Wow! It's really Kay!"

"What? Where? Wow, it's really Kay! I heard he was in Nepal, thought we might run into him if we're lucky!"

Fortunately, the crowd of Nepalis gathering around Geon naturally blocked the tourists from getting closer. Looking around in embarrassment, Geon spotted an elder holding a staff standing in front of the temple and waved frantically.

"Chief Timo! Chief Timo! Please help me!"

Chief Timo, who had been solemnly watching the people entering the temple, looked surprised to see Geon and hurried over after instructing his attendant. The Nepalis made way for Chief Timo as he approached.

"Deva! You have arrived!"

Geon placed a hand on his forehead and weakly smiled.

"I'm not a Deva."

"Haha, yes. Deva."

"Please, help me out here, chief."

"Ah, yes. Of course, Deva. Make way! The Deva has come to celebrate Shivaratri!"

Waving his staff, Chief Timo cleared a path through the crowd. Pointing forward with his staff, he said,

"Please proceed, Deva."

As Geon approached the temple entrance, a man dressed in Nepali police uniform approached him, wagging his finger.

"Foreigners are not allowed inside the Hindu temple."

Suddenly, Chief Timo swung his staff, hitting the policeman on the head. The policeman, taken aback, looked at Chief Timo in disbelief and then bowed deeply.

"I greet Brahmin Timo."

"This person is the Deva. Open the way."

The policeman, shocked, looked at Geon again and quickly bowed.

"Please forgive us!"

Geon hurriedly pulled the policeman to his feet.

"No, it's okay. Please stand up."

As the policeman stood up, touched by Geon's gesture, he stepped aside, allowing Geon and Chief Timo to enter the temple. Geon asked,

"Aren't foreigners usually allowed in? I thought Hinduism was a religion of inclusiveness."

Chief Timo smiled kindly and explained,

"Hinduism is a religion of inclusivity, but it is also more exclusive than any other religion. Unless you are born a

Hindu, you are not recognized as a true Hindu, no matter how devout you are. Thus, only true Hindus are allowed to participate in sacred rituals."

"Ah, like Catholicism or Protestantism's concept of original sin."

"Similar context, Deva."

"What's that over there?"

Geon pointed curiously to where men and women were bathing under traditional showers in front of the temple, undressed from the waist up, even in front of onlookers.

"That's the first ritual to become a devout descendant of Shiva. You cleanse your body and enter barefoot. I have already done so. Will you, Deva?"

"Me too?"

"Yes, if you wish to participate in the ceremony, it is a must. Otherwise, you'll have to stay outside the temple like those foreign tourists."

Looking back at the entrance where the police were preventing tourists from getting a closer look inside the temple, Geon saw tourists only able to view the temple from outside. Reluctantly, he took off his upper clothing and shoes and waited for his turn in line. The man standing in front of Geon, tired of waiting, stretched and turned around, making eye contact with Geon. Hastily lowering his hands, he respectfully joined his palms together, stepped aside, and gestured forward. Confused, Geon looked at Chief Timo for explanation.

"He is offering his place to you. Please, go ahead."

"Thank you, Danyabad."

As Geon thanked him with a traditional gesture, the man bowed deeply in response. Hearing the sound, the people in line turned around and, upon seeing Geon, bowed deeply and made way for him. The path to the bathing area was clear as the thirty people in line stepped aside. Feeling embarrassed, Geon scratched his cheek and moved forward, and as he passed by, everyone bowed even deeper.

The rusty pipe's water was similar in color to the Bagmati River flowing beside the temple. Smelling the water, Geon wrinkled his nose but, seeing the many Nepalis watching him, quickly washed himself. The cold water refreshed him, and he felt rejuvenated. After bathing, Chief Timo handed him a large towel and instructed,

"Do not wear your shoes, and proceed to offer your prayers."

As Geon dried himself and walked towards the temple, he noticed people sitting on the stairs, smoking. Pointing them out, he asked,

"Why are those people only wearing underwear? Are they beggars?"

"They are called Sadhus, ascetic practitioners. It might be hard for a foreigner to distinguish them from beggars."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend."

"It's alright. They are sacred ascetics who use the money they beg to buy offerings for the gods. However, if begging is considered being a beggar, then they are not entirely wrong, haha."

Following Chief Timo, Geon ascended to the place of worship. Although walking barefoot was slightly uncomfortable, the cool sensation of the ground was not entirely unpleasant. Geon embraced the unfamiliar feeling under his feet and suddenly asked,

"Chief, everyone seems to be carrying something. Are those offerings? I didn't bring anything; what should I do?"

"Haha, I have prepared something for you. Bring it here!"

Upon Chief Timo's command, an attendant brought a wrapped black goat kid. Handing the package to Geon, Chief Timo said,

"This will be your offering, Deva."

"A black goat? It looks cute. Adult black goats look a bit scary, haha."

"Don't get too attached. It will be beheaded and offered to the gods as a sacrifice."

"Even such a young goat?"

"Haha, it's part of the ritual."

"Ah, I see..."

Geon looked at the innocent kid goat, seemingly unaware of its fate, with pity before carrying the package and following Chief Timo. The Nepalis in front of them made way as they saw Chief Timo and Geon approaching.

Soon, reaching the top of the stairs, Geon placed the goat in front of a bas-relief of Shiva and followed Chief Timo's lead, closing his eyes and joining his palms together. After a moment of silent prayer, as Chief Timo opened his eyes, Geon asked,

"Are you making a wish? Asking for something?"

With his palms still joined and eyes open, Chief Timo laughed and replied,

"Hindus do not ask for wishes from the gods. We simply hope to flow according to the will of the gods. It's different from the carnivals in the West. It's a festival to worship the deity itself, not to dance and make noise, Deva."

"Why have a religion if you don't ask the gods for anything?"

"Worshiping the gods who created us is a natural virtue humans should have. Hindus don't seek gods to fulfill their desires, Deva."

"Interesting."

Geon spotted the beggars he had seen earlier. Called Sadhus by Chief Timo,

they wore only white underwear and had their faces painted, solemnly placing the offerings they had begged for in front of Shiva's altar and bowing deeply. Geon could not find any traces of a hard life marked by poverty on their faces. Watching them offer their begged-for sacrifices to the gods and walk away with light steps appeared almost sacred.

As he watched them leave, Geon noticed someone standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh! Mr. Birasi! You were here!"

>

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