COVID-19 corpse management in Nepal: handling the deceased at Pashupati electric crematorium during

Mortality Promoting the interdisciplinary study of death and dying

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: www.tandfonline.com/journals/cmrt20

COVID-19 corpse management in Nepal: handling the deceased at Pashupati electric crematorium during the COVID-19 pandemic Hans Hadders To cite this article: Hans Hadders (26 May 2024): COVID-19 corpse management in Nepal: handling the deceased at Pashupati electric crematorium during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mortality, DOI: 10.1080/13576275.2024.2358508 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2024.2358508

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COVID-19 corpse management in Nepal: handling the deceased at Pashupati electric crematorium during

Published on Oct 26, 2024

Hans Hadders

Death causes considerable contagion and is fraught with potential danger for Nepali mourners. The main purpose of cremation ritual practice at Pashupati crematorium is to purify and free the soul from the body to secure the transition of the soul to another realm, and subsequently as an ancestor. It is the family’s obligation to facilitate a safe journey and to turn the deceased into a benign ancestor instead of a haunting ghost. Since the first COVID-19 death in Nepal on the 14th of May 2020, the Pashupati electric crematorium has been prioritised for COVID confirmed cremations in the Kathmandu valley area. These cremations were done free of cost by the crematorium staff without mourners’ presence, with the extensive logistic assistance of Nepal Army. The management of the COVID corpses was strictly controlled and regulated to minimise spread of the virus. The severely limited access for bereaved mourners and the obligatory use of closed body bags restricted the cremation ritual practice for mourners to a ba

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COVID-19 corpse management in Nepal: handling the deceased at Pashupati electric crematorium during by Hans Hadders - Issuu