Nepal Banishes Soul of Dead King

June 11 -- In a very rare Hindu exorcism ritual, Nepal today attempted to draw the curtain on a horrific chapter in the nation's history on the final day of mourning for their slain king and other royal family members.

Seated on a handsomely bedecked elephant, a Hindu priest dressed like the late King Birendra was ceremonially banished from the Katmandu Valley in what could be called a Nepali attempt to bring closure to the political crisis that has gripped the Himalayan country for the past 11 days.

The katto ceremony came as the nation awaits an official explanation for the June 1 palace massacre that ended with the deaths of the former king and queen and seven other royal family members.

Former Crown Prince Dipendra, identified as the shooter by witnesses, also died of gunshot wounds days later, after being briefly proclaimed king.

Breaking Sacred Taboos

Dressed in a shimmering gold shalwar kurta and ornaments and shoes worn by the late King Birendra, Durga Prasad Sapkota, 75, a senior Brahmin priest, rode the elephant through the streets of Katmandu today as crowds chased him out of the capital.

The ceremonial dressing, a ritualistic appropriation of the soul of the dead king, was followed by a meal of 84 delicacies laced with bone marrow, Nepalnews, a Nepali Web site reported.

A strict vegetarian all his life, Sapkota broke with one of Hinduism's most sacred taboos in a symbolic show of the spirit of the former king carrying the ills of the world into exile.

He took with him a number of possessions belonging to the late king, including domestic items like a radio and television set, local media reported.

The katto ceremony, which was conducted on the banks of the Bagmati river in Katmandu, was attended by a number of senior government officials including Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Chief Justice Kevhab Prasad Upadhaya, who is heading the official inquiry commission into the killings.

However, King Gyanendra, the younger brother of the slain former king, did not attend the ceremony.