Something about Hinduism

It was the morning of April 1999; I took the trip to the northwestern part of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, at one of the holiest temple of Kathmandu named Pashupati Nath, which is the oldest Hindu pilgrim site. Visiting the temple of Pashupati Nath had been my dream since I was in school, also learned that it is included in the list of world cultural heritage and had open access of Hindu cremation site. My intention had been to start with life, to worship and to witness death. . This temple is regarded as one of the most important place of pilgrimages for the followers of Hinduism. The temple is barred to non Hindus. I, being Hindu had never been there before. I reached at the center of the temple where Bagmati River flows and the bank of Bagmati River was Hindu cremation place. I saw a cremation pyre. Suddenly, I heard mourning, death body wrapped with yellow cloth was about to be cremated. A tall man with a long wooden log was standing beside the corpse. He lit the wooden log and put fire on the corpse as priest chanted prayers. That tall man bended down and started sobbing. I couldn’t resist my heart that was the first time I have ever seen dead body cremated. After some time, in the funeral platform body was burnt, nothing but ashes were left. That tall man stood up slowly, gathered ashes and sprinkled them into the water of Bagmati River.
When I first thought about Pashupati temple all I cared about was to appreciate the holiest site of hindu temple and take a glance of Bagmati river as well. However it made me realized that Pashupati temple is pure and sacred and Hindus get salvation if they are cremated there after their death. I have heard about the funeral process but that day I witnessed how Hindus are cremated as a part of an ancient ritual in a holy place. Being Hindu , after I die , I will be cremated and my ashes will be spread in holy Bagmati river , eventually I will end up nowhere but in Bagmati river and I will be released from cycle of repeated birth and death.