I try to turn every chance I can get into an adventure of sorts. This involves heading out on my bicycle in no particular direction and just seeing what it out there. Since I am a stranger in a strange land, even the mundane is pretty exciting to me and today was not an exception.
On one rural area I ran into some temple grounds that appeared to be in a state of disuse and it turns out there were two types of cremation areas there. The first one is the older style that most people choose not to use anymore.
In this are a body would be placed out in the open, presumably with plenty of wood and perhaps some fragrant stuff like incense and then set ablaze outdoors.
This process takes quite a lot of time and a friend of mine told me that the family and friends normally are not involved in the process and since the monks wait until the body is completely consumed by fire, it is not uncommon for everyone to go home and the smoldering body is left to completely burn out, therefore he actually encountered a full skeleton that was in the pit waiting for removal. I am sure that was all sorts of creepy. I wouldn't have enjoyed that
The second structure (which was directly next to the first) is a more modern piece of equipment that can get the job done a lot faster and I have seen one of these in action at a funeral I have attended in this country for a staff member of my school.
While considerably less ominous than the first facility, it still had a creepy feeling to it.
This was an access panel on the back of the same building. I didn't open it up out of respect so I don't know if this is the ashes removal door or what it is. It could be. I was too afraid to look.. haha. Oh and that is not my box of booze either. I was exercising that day.
I would imagine that this facility isn't used or cleaned until it is necessary because someone in the local community has died and requested to have their remains handled here. It did seem rather abandoned but you know, funerals don't take place every day in these remote areas. It was spooky, but I am glad I encountered it.
Get out there and explore! You never know what sort of interesting something or other could be hiding around the corner!
